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Vaccines
Special Issues
Peptide-Based Vaccines
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Peptide-Based Vaccines

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 4740

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Waleed Hussein

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Interests: peptide-based vaccines; gene delivery; medicinal chemistry; organic synthesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mariusz Skwarczynski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
Interests: vaccines and nanomedicine; vaccine design; nanotechnology; peptide chemistry; medicinal chemistry; vaccine/drug delivery; antimicrobial agents; macromolecules; adjuvants; immunology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ahmed O. Shalash

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Interests: preclinical formulation development; vaccines; nanotechnology; vaccine delivery systems; drug delivery systems; peptide-based vaccines; proteins; pharmaceutical sciences; pharmacokinetics; in vivo–in vitro correlations; pulmonary delivery; vaccine adjuvant development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The journey of immunization has evolved significantly from the use of whole organisms to the precise targeting of specific pathogenic interactions via peptide-based vaccines. These innovative vaccines leverage minimal antigenic epitopes to provoke targeted immune responses, thus sidestepping the broader implications of traditional vaccine strategies that often incorporate entire pathogens.

Peptide-based vaccines stand at the frontier of immunology, combining synthetic precision with the vast capabilities of the human immune system. This approach minimizes adverse effects and maximizes efficacy, allowing for the development of vaccines that are not only more specific but also potentially more effective in managing resistance and variations in pathogens.

In this Special Issue, we invite contributions that explore the full spectrum of peptide-based vaccine development—from theoretical designs and mechanistic insights to clinical evaluations and therapeutic applications. Studies that shed light on the intricate interplay between these vaccines and the immune system, offering new perspectives on enhancing immune responses or evading pathogenic resistance, are particularly welcome.

We look forward to your insightful contributions that push the boundaries of vaccine science and open new doors to immunological protection and intervention.

Dr. Waleed Hussein
Dr. Mariusz Skwarczynski
Dr. Ahmed O. Shalash
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • peptide-based vaccines
  • infectious diseases
  • prophylactic vaccines
  • therapeutic vaccines
  • cancer
  • vaccine formulations
  • adjuvants

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 5995 KiB  
Article
Active Immunization Using TRPM2 Peptide Vaccine Attenuates Atherosclerotic Progression in a Mouse Model of Atherosclerosis
by Fan Ying, Yunting Zhang, Xiao Li, Zhaoyue Meng, Jingxuan Li, Chun-Yin Lo, Wentao Peng, Xiaoyu Tian and Xiaoqiang Yao
Vaccines 2025, 13(3), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13030241 - 26 Feb 2025
Viewed by 448
Abstract
Background/Objective: Atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular diseases and mortality around the world. One exciting strategy for atherosclerosis treatment is immunotherapy, especially active immunization. Active immunization relies on the delivery of antigens in a vaccine platform to introduce humoral [...] Read more.
Background/Objective: Atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular diseases and mortality around the world. One exciting strategy for atherosclerosis treatment is immunotherapy, especially active immunization. Active immunization relies on the delivery of antigens in a vaccine platform to introduce humoral and cellular immunity, alleviating atherosclerotic progression. Transient receptor potential channel isoform M2 (TRPM2) is an ROS-activated Ca2+-permeable ion channel that can promote atherosclerosis via stimulating vascular inflammation. In the present study, we developed a strategy of active immunization with the TRPM2 E3 domain peptide in a vaccine platform, aiming to induce the endogenous production of anti-TRPM2 blocking antibody in mice in vivo, consequently inhibiting TRPM2 channel activity to alleviate atherosclerotic progression. Methods: ApoE knockout mice were fed with a high cholesterol diet to develop atherosclerosis. The mice were injected with or without the E3 peptide vaccines, followed by analysis of atherosclerotic lesion by en face Oil Red O staining of the whole aorta and histologic analysis of thin tissue sections from aortic roots. Results: The results show that immunization with a pig TRPM2 E3 region-based peptide (P1) could effectively alleviate high cholesterol diet-induced atherosclerosis in ApoE knockout mice. We worked out the best vaccine formulation for the most effective atheroprotection, namely P1 at the dose of 67.5 µg per mouse (2.5 mg/kg body weight) with aluminum salts as adjuvant. Conclusions: The present study provides a novel target TRPM2 for peptide vaccine-based anti-atherosclerotic strategy and lays the foundation for future preclinical/clinical trials using TRPM2 E3 P1 vaccine for a potential therapeutic option against atherosclerosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Peptide-Based Vaccines)
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15 pages, 2377 KiB  
Article
Peptide Antigen Modifications Influence the On-Target and Off-Target Antibody Response for an Influenza Subunit Vaccine
by Megan C. Schulte, Adam C. Boll, Agustin T. Barcellona, Elida A. Lopez, Adam G. Schrum and Bret D. Ulery
Vaccines 2025, 13(1), 51; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13010051 - 9 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 822
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Peptide amphiphile micelles (PAMs) are an exciting nanotechnology currently being studied for a variety of biomedical applications, especially for drug delivery. Specifically, PAMs can enhance in vivo trafficking, cell-targeting, and cell interactions/internalization. However, modifying peptides, as is commonly performed to induce micellization, [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Peptide amphiphile micelles (PAMs) are an exciting nanotechnology currently being studied for a variety of biomedical applications, especially for drug delivery. Specifically, PAMs can enhance in vivo trafficking, cell-targeting, and cell interactions/internalization. However, modifying peptides, as is commonly performed to induce micellization, can influence their bioactivity. In our previous work, murine antibody responses to PAMs containing the influenza antigen M22–16 were slightly incongruous with prior PAM vaccine studies using other antigens. In this current work, the effect of native protein linkages and non-native micellizing moieties on M2 immunogenicity was studied. Methods: PAMs were synthesized using an elongated M2 antigen (i.e., Palm2K-M21–24-(KE)4). The PAMs were characterized, then their immunogenicity was evaluated with bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and in mice. Results: Although the modification scheme yielded immunogenic PAMs, these PAMs induced a substantial amount of off-target antibody production compared to unmodified peptidyl micelles (PMs, M21–24 peptide). Conclusions: While the impact PAM-induced off-target antibodies had on vaccine efficacy remains to be elucidated, on-target antibodies from both PAM- and PM-vaccinated mice were excitingly able to recognize the M2 antigen within the context of the full M2 protein. This provides preliminary evidence that the PAM-induced on-target antibodies will at minimum be able to recognize the influenza virus upon exposure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Peptide-Based Vaccines)
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Review

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26 pages, 1774 KiB  
Review
Advancements and Challenges in Peptide-Based Cancer Vaccination: A Multidisciplinary Perspective
by Dequan Liu, Lei Liu, Xinghan Li, Shijin Wang, Guangzhen Wu and Xiangyu Che
Vaccines 2024, 12(8), 950; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12080950 - 22 Aug 2024
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2947
Abstract
With the continuous advancements in tumor immunotherapy, researchers are actively exploring new treatment methods. Peptide therapeutic cancer vaccines have garnered significant attention for their potential in improving patient outcomes. Despite its potential, only a single peptide-based cancer vaccine has been approved by the [...] Read more.
With the continuous advancements in tumor immunotherapy, researchers are actively exploring new treatment methods. Peptide therapeutic cancer vaccines have garnered significant attention for their potential in improving patient outcomes. Despite its potential, only a single peptide-based cancer vaccine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms and current development status is crucial for advancing these vaccines. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the production principles and therapeutic mechanisms of peptide-based cancer vaccines, highlights the commonly used peptide-based cancer vaccines, and examines the synergistic effects of combining these vaccines with immunotherapy, targeted therapy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. While some studies have yielded suboptimal results, the potential of combination therapies remains substantial. Additionally, we addressed the management and adverse events associated with peptide-based cancer vaccines, noting their relatively higher safety profile compared to traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Lastly, we also discussed the roles of adjuvants and targeted delivery systems in enhancing vaccine efficacy. In conclusion, this review comprehensively outlines the current landscape of peptide-based cancer vaccination and underscores its potential as a pivotal immunotherapy approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Peptide-Based Vaccines)
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