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Waqas M, Aziz S, Liò P, Khan Y, Ali A, Iqbal A, Khan F, Almajhdi FN. Immunoinformatics design of multivalent epitope vaccine against monkeypox virus and its variants using membrane-bound, enveloped, and extracellular proteins as targets. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1091941. [PMID: 36776835 PMCID: PMC9908764 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1091941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The current monkeypox (MPX) outbreak, caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), has turned into a global concern, with over 59,000 infection cases and 23 deaths worldwide. Objectives Herein, we aimed to exploit robust immunoinformatics approach, targeting membrane-bound, enveloped, and extracellular proteins of MPXV to formulate a chimeric antigen. Such a strategy could similarly be applied for identifying immunodominant epitopes and designing multi-epitope vaccine ensembles in other pathogens responsible for chronic pathologies that are difficult to intervene against. Methods A reverse vaccinology pipeline was used to select 11 potential vaccine candidates, which were screened and mapped to predict immunodominant B-cell and T-cell epitopes. The finalized epitopes were merged with the aid of suitable linkers, an adjuvant (Resuscitation-promoting factor), a PADRE sequence (13 aa), and an HIV TAT sequence (11 aa) to formulate a multivalent epitope vaccine. Bioinformatics tools were employed to carry out codon adaptation and computational cloning. The tertiary structure of the chimeric vaccine construct was modeled via I-TASSER, and its interaction with Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) was evaluated using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. C-ImmSim server was implemented to examine the immune response against the designed multi-epitope antigen. Results and discussion The designed chimeric vaccine construct included 21 immunodominant epitopes (six B-cell, eight cytotoxic T lymphocyte, and seven helper T-lymphocyte) and is predicted non-allergen, antigenic, soluble, with suitable physicochemical features, that can promote cross-protection among the MPXV strains. The selected epitopes indicated a wide global population coverage (93.62%). Most finalized epitopes have 70%-100% sequence similarity with the experimentally validated immune epitopes of the vaccinia virus, which can be helpful in the speedy progression of vaccine design. Lastly, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation computed stable and energetically favourable interaction between the putative antigen and TLR4. Conclusion Our results show that the multi-epitope vaccine might elicit cellular and humoral immune responses and could be a potential vaccine candidate against the MPXV infection. Further experimental testing of the proposed vaccine is warranted to validate its safety and efficacy profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Waqas
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Birkat-ul-Mouz, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Shahkaar Aziz
- Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Pietro Liò
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Yumna Khan
- Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Amjad Ali
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan
| | - Aqib Iqbal
- Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan
- Department of Biotechnology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Faizullah Khan
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Birkat-ul-Mouz, Nizwa, Oman
- Department of Pharmacy, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Fahad Nasser Almajhdi
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Xie W, Zhao W, Zou Z, Kong L, Yang L. Oral multivalent epitope vaccine, based on UreB, HpaA, CAT, and LTB, for prevention and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in C57BL / 6 mice. Helicobacter 2021; 26:e12807. [PMID: 33847026 DOI: 10.1111/hel.12807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As the resistance of Helicobacter pylori to traditional triple therapy is gradually revealed, an increasing number of people are focusing on vaccine treatments for H. pylori infection. Epitope vaccines are a promising strategy for the treatment of H. pylori infection, and multivalent vaccines will be more effective than monovalent vaccines. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, we designed a multivalent vaccine named LHUC, which consists of the adjuvant LTB as well as three Th cell epitopes (HpaA154-171 , UreB237-251, and UreB546-561 ) and five B-cell epitopes (UreB349-363 , UreB327-334 , CAT394-405 , CAT387-397, and HpaA132-141 ) from UreB, HpaA, and catalase. In BALB/c mice, the specificity and immunogenicity of the fusion peptide LHUC and the neutralization of H. pylori urease and catalase by the specific IgG elicited by LHUC were evaluated. The preventive and therapeutic effects of LHUC were evaluated in C57BL/6 mice infected with H. pylori. RESULTS The results showed that compared with LTB and PBS, LHUC induced specific IgG and IgA antibody production in mice, and IgG antibodies significantly inhibited the H. pylori urease and catalase activities in vitro. Additionally, by detecting the levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-17 in lymphocyte supernatants, we proved that LHUC could activate Th1, Th2, and Th17 mixed T-cell immune responses in vivo. Finally, a C57BL/6 mouse model of gastric infection with H. pylori was established. The results showed that compared with the effects of LTB and PBS, the prevention and treatment effects of oral inoculation with LHUC significantly inhibited bacterial colonization. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, LHUC, a multivalent vaccine based on multiple H. pylori antigens, is a promising and safe vaccine that can effectively reduce the colonization of H. pylori in the stomach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwei Xie
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenfeng Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry, China Pharmaceutical university, Nanjing, China
| | - Ziling Zou
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lingyi Kong
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lei Yang
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
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Guo L, Hong D, Wang S, Zhang F, Tang F, Wu T, Chu Y, Liu H, He M, Yang H, Yin R, Liu K. Therapeutic Protection Against H. pylori Infection in Mongolian Gerbils by Oral Immunization With a Tetravalent Epitope-Based Vaccine With Polysaccharide Adjuvant. Front Immunol 2019; 10:1185. [PMID: 31191547 PMCID: PMC6546824 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Urease is an effective target for design of a therapeutic epitope vaccine against Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). In our previous studies, an epitope vaccine CTB-UE containing Th and B epitopes from H. pylori urease was constructed, and the CTB-UE vaccine could provide therapeutic effect on H. pylori infection in mice. However, a multivalent vaccine, combining different antigens participating in different aspects of H. pylori colonization and pathogenesis, may be more effective as a therapeutic vaccine than a univalent vaccine targetting urease. Therefore, a multivalent epitope vaccine FVpE, containing Th1-type immune adjuvant NAP, three selected functional fragments from CagA and VacA, and an urease multi-epitope peptide (UE) from CTB-UE, was constructed in this study and expected to obtain better sterilizing immunity than the univalent epitope vaccine CTB-UE. The therapeutic effect of multivalent epitope vaccine FVpE with polysaccharide adjuvant (PA) was evaluated in H. pylori-infected Mongolian gerbil model. The results showed that both FvpE and CTB-UE vaccine could induce similar levels of specific antibodies against H. pylori urease, and had similar inhibition effect on H. pylori urease activity. However, only FVpE could induce high levels of specific antibodies to CagA, VacA, and NAP. In addition, oral therapeutic immunization with FVpE plus PA significantly reduced the number of H. pylori colonies in the stomach of Mongolian gerbils compared with oral immunization with CTB-UE plus PA, or FVpE only, and the FVpE vaccine with PA even exhibited sterilizing immunity. The protection of FVpE was related to the mixed CD4+ T cell responses and epitope-specific antibodies against various H. pylori antigens. These results indicate that a multivalent epitope vaccine targetting various H. pylori antigens could be a promising candidate against H. pylori infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Guo
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Clinical and Pathogenic Microbiology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.,Ningxia Key Laboratory of Cerebrocranial Diseases, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.,Department of Medical Laboratory, School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Dantong Hong
- Department of Medical Laboratory, School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Shue Wang
- Department of Medical Laboratory, School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Medical Laboratory, School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Feng Tang
- Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Tao Wu
- Clinical Laboratory, People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan, China
| | - Yuankui Chu
- Department of Medical Laboratory, School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Hongpeng Liu
- Department of Medical Laboratory, School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Meng He
- Department of Medical Laboratory, School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Hua Yang
- Department of Medical Laboratory, School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Runting Yin
- Center for Cell Therapy, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Kunmei Liu
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Cerebrocranial Diseases, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.,Department of Medical Laboratory, School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
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