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Marques PH, Tiwari S, Felice AG, Jaiswal AK, Aburjaile FF, Azevedo V, Silva-Vergara ML, Ferreira-Paim K, Soares SDC, Fonseca FM. Design of a Multi-Epitope Vaccine against Histoplasma capsulatum through Immunoinformatics Approaches. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:43. [PMID: 38248954 PMCID: PMC10817582 DOI: 10.3390/jof10010043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Histoplasmosis is a widespread systemic disease caused by Histoplasma capsulatum, prevalent in the Americas. Despite its significant morbidity and mortality rates, no vaccines are currently available. Previously, five vaccine targets and specific epitopes for H. capsulatum were identified. Immunoinformatics has emerged as a novel approach for determining the main immunogenic components of antigens through in silico methods. Therefore, we predicted the main helper and cytotoxic T lymphocytes and B-cell epitopes for these targets to create a potential multi-epitope vaccine known as HistoVAC-TSFM. A total of 38 epitopes were found: 23 common to CTL and B-cell responses, 11 linked to HTL and B cells, and 4 previously validated epitopes associated with the B subunit of cholera toxin, a potent adjuvant. In silico evaluations confirmed the stability, non-toxicity, non-allergenicity, and non-homology of these vaccines with the host. Notably, the vaccine exhibited the potential to trigger both innate and adaptive immune responses, likely involving the TLR4 pathway, as supported by 3D modeling and molecular docking. The designed HistoVAC-TSFM appears promising against Histoplasma, with the ability to induce important cytokines, such as IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL17, and IL6. Future studies could be carried out to test the vaccine's efficacy in in vivo models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Henrique Marques
- Postgraduate Interunits Program in Bioinformatics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (P.H.M.); (A.K.J.)
- Department of Preventive Veterinary, Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil;
| | - Sandeep Tiwari
- Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40170-115, Brazil;
- Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40170-115, Brazil
| | - Andrei Giacchetto Felice
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38015-050, Brazil; (A.G.F.); (S.d.C.S.)
| | - Arun Kumar Jaiswal
- Postgraduate Interunits Program in Bioinformatics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (P.H.M.); (A.K.J.)
| | - Flávia Figueira Aburjaile
- Department of Preventive Veterinary, Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil;
| | - Vasco Azevedo
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil;
| | - Mario León Silva-Vergara
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38025-440, Brazil;
| | - Kennio Ferreira-Paim
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38015-050, Brazil; (A.G.F.); (S.d.C.S.)
| | - Siomar de Castro Soares
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38015-050, Brazil; (A.G.F.); (S.d.C.S.)
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Otálora-Otálora BA, López-Rivera JJ, Aristizábal-Guzmán C, Isaza-Ruget MA, Álvarez-Moreno CA. Host Transcriptional Regulatory Genes and Microbiome Networks Crosstalk through Immune Receptors Establishing Normal and Tumor Multiomics Metafirm of the Oral-Gut-Lung Axis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16638. [PMID: 38068961 PMCID: PMC10706695 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316638] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbiome has shown a correlation with the diet and lifestyle of each population in health and disease, the ability to communicate at the cellular level with the host through innate and adaptative immune receptors, and therefore an important role in modulating inflammatory process related to the establishment and progression of cancer. The oral cavity is one of the most important interaction windows between the human body and the environment, allowing the entry of an important number of microorganisms and their passage across the gastrointestinal tract and lungs. In this review, the contribution of the microbiome network to the establishment of systemic diseases like cancer is analyzed through their synergistic interactions and bidirectional crosstalk in the oral-gut-lung axis as well as its communication with the host cells. Moreover, the impact of the characteristic microbiota of each population in the formation of the multiomics molecular metafirm of the oral-gut-lung axis is also analyzed through state-of-the-art sequencing techniques, which allow a global study of the molecular processes involved of the flow of the microbiota environmental signals through cancer-related cells and its relationship with the establishment of the transcription factor network responsible for the control of regulatory processes involved with tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan Javier López-Rivera
- Grupo de Investigación INPAC, Specialized Laboratory, Clinica Universitaria Colombia, Clínica Colsanitas S.A., Bogotá 111321, Colombia;
| | - Claudia Aristizábal-Guzmán
- Grupo de Investigación INPAC, Unidad de Investigación, Fundación Universitaria Sanitas, Bogotá 110131, Colombia;
| | - Mario Arturo Isaza-Ruget
- Keralty, Sanitas International Organization, Grupo de Investigación INPAC, Fundación Universitaria Sanitas, Bogotá 110131, Colombia;
| | - Carlos Arturo Álvarez-Moreno
- Infectious Diseases Department, Clinica Universitaria Colombia, Clínica Colsanitas S.A., Bogotá 111321, Colombia;
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Inácio MM, Moreira ALE, Cruz-Leite VRM, Mattos K, Silva LOS, Venturini J, Ruiz OH, Ribeiro-Dias F, Weber SS, Soares CMDA, Borges CL. Fungal Vaccine Development: State of the Art and Perspectives Using Immunoinformatics. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:633. [PMID: 37367569 DOI: 10.3390/jof9060633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections represent a serious global health problem, causing damage to health and the economy on the scale of millions. Although vaccines are the most effective therapeutic approach used to combat infectious agents, at the moment, no fungal vaccine has been approved for use in humans. However, the scientific community has been working hard to overcome this challenge. In this sense, we aim to describe here an update on the development of fungal vaccines and the progress of methodological and experimental immunotherapies against fungal infections. In addition, advances in immunoinformatic tools are described as an important aid by which to overcome the difficulty of achieving success in fungal vaccine development. In silico approaches are great options for the most important and difficult questions regarding the attainment of an efficient fungal vaccine. Here, we suggest how bioinformatic tools could contribute, considering the main challenges, to an effective fungal vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moisés Morais Inácio
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-170, Brazil
- Estácio de Goiás University Center, Goiânia 74063-010, Brazil
| | - André Luís Elias Moreira
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-170, Brazil
| | | | - Karine Mattos
- Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Lana O'Hara Souza Silva
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-170, Brazil
| | - James Venturini
- Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Orville Hernandez Ruiz
- MICROBA Research Group-Cellular and Molecular Biology Unit-CIB, School of Microbiology, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - Fátima Ribeiro-Dias
- Laboratório de Imunidade Natural (LIN), Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74001-970, Brazil
| | - Simone Schneider Weber
- Bioscience Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Célia Maria de Almeida Soares
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-170, Brazil
| | - Clayton Luiz Borges
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-170, Brazil
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Comparative Genomics of Histoplasma capsulatum and Prediction of New Vaccines and Drug Targets. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9020193. [PMID: 36836308 PMCID: PMC9963733 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Histoplasma capsulatum is a thermodymorphic fungus that causes histoplasmosis, a systemic mycosis that presents different clinical manifestations, ranging from self-limiting to acute lung infection, chronic lung infection and disseminated infection. Usually, it affects severely immunocompromised patients although immunocompetent patients can also be infected. Currently, there are no vaccines to prevent histoplasmosis and the available antifungal treatment presents moderate to high toxicity. Additionally, there are few options of antifungal drugs. Thus, the aim of this study was to predict possible protein targets for the construction of potential vaccine candidates and predict potential drug targets against H. capsulatum. Whole genome sequences from four previously published H. capsulatum strains were analyzed and submitted to different bioinformatic approaches such as reverse vaccinology and subtractive genomics. A total of four proteins were characterized as good protein candidates (vaccine antigens) for vaccine development, three of which are membrane-bound and one is secreted. In addition, it was possible to predict four cytoplasmic proteins which were classified as good protein candidates and, through molecular docking performed for each identified target, we found four natural compounds that showed favorable interactions with our target proteins. Our study can help in the development of potential vaccines and new drugs that can change the current scenario of the treatment and prevention of histoplasmosis.
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Chechi JL, da Costa FAC, Figueiredo JM, de Souza CM, Valdez AF, Zamith-Miranda D, Camara AC, Taborda CP, Nosanchuk JD. Vaccine development for pathogenic fungi: current status and future directions. Expert Rev Vaccines 2023; 22:1136-1153. [PMID: 37936254 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2023.2279570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Fungal infections are caused by a broad range of pathogenic fungi that are found worldwide with different geographic distributions, incidences, and mortality rates. Considering that there are relatively few approved medications available for combating fungal diseases and no vaccine formulation commercially available, multiple groups are searching for new antifungal drugs, examining drugs for repurposing and developing antifungal vaccines, in order to control deaths, sequels, and the spread of these complex infections. AREAS COVERED This review provides a summary of advances in fungal vaccine studies and the different approaches under development, such as subunit vaccines, whole organism vaccines, and DNA vaccines, as well as studies that optimize the use of adjuvants. We conducted a literature search of the PubMed with terms: fungal vaccines and genus of fungal pathogens (Cryptococcus spp. Candida spp. Coccidioides spp. Aspergillus spp. Sporothrix spp. Histoplasma spp. Paracoccidioides spp. Pneumocystis spp. and the Mucorales order), a total of 177 articles were collected from database. EXPERT OPINION Problems regarding the immune response development in an immunocompromised organism, the similarity between fungal and mammalian cells, and the lack of attention by health organizations to fungal infections are closely related to the fact that, at present, there are no fungal vaccines available for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica L Chechi
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Felipe A C da Costa
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
- Laboratório de Micologia Médica (LIM-53), Departamento de Dermatologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Julia M Figueiredo
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Cássia M de Souza
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Biologia Molecular de Fungos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo, Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Alessandro F Valdez
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Aline C Camara
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
- Laboratório de Micologia Médica (LIM-53), Departamento de Dermatologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos P Taborda
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
- Laboratório de Micologia Médica (LIM-53), Departamento de Dermatologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
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Valdez AF, Miranda DZ, Guimarães AJ, Nimrichter L, Nosanchuk JD. Pathogenicity & Virulence of Histoplasma capsulatum - a multifaceted organism adapted to intracellular environments. Virulence 2022; 13:1900-1919. [PMID: 36266777 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2137987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Histoplasmosis is a systemic mycosis caused by the thermally dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. Although healthy individuals can develop histoplasmosis, the disease is particularly life-threatening in immunocompromised patients, with a wide range of clinical manifestations depending on the inoculum and virulence of the infecting strain. In this review, we discuss the established virulence factors and pathogenesis traits that make H. capsulatum highly adapted to a wide variety of hosts, including mammals. Understanding and integrating these mechanisms is a key step towards devising new preventative and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro F Valdez
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniel Zamith Miranda
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Allan Jefferson Guimarães
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Instituto Biomédico, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia - MIP, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
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