Submit to Vaccines Review for Vaccines Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Design of Multi-Epitope Subunit Vaccine and Immunization Strategies

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Vaccination Optimization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 19617

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Rajan Kumar Pandey

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Karolinska Institute, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
Interests: immunology; vaccine; rheumatolog
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vaccines have revolutionized the healthcare system by preventing various diseases. The first breakthrough came with the entry of the smallpox vaccine, which was followed by polio, measles, tetanus, HPV, etc., and the most recent advancement of the COVID-19 vaccine. Various immune cells, mainly T cells and B cells, play a crucial role in vaccines’ effects against the target immunogen. Vaccine development is a long-term process and needs years of research to find a novel immunogen, followed by in vitro and in vivo screening and clinical trials. This process can be shortened using immunoinformatic tools to sort various peptides to be used as an immunogen, followed by their biological evaluation. Therefore, we would like to invite the emerging minds of the scientific community to submit their work to this Special Issue involving the design of a multi-epitope subunit vaccine and various immunization strategies. We also welcome articles with similar objectives to search for vaccine candidates against various diseases. The addition of new scientific approaches to this subject may lead to a better understanding of new vaccine development for different diseases before their onset.

Dr. Rajan Kumar Pandey
Guest Editor

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

vaccines
subunit vaccine
immunogen
immunoinformatic
humoral immunity
cell-mediated immunity
peptides

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

18 pages, 10600 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Immunization Effects of a Novel α-Synuclein-Based Peptide Epitope Vaccine in Parkinson’s Disease-Associated Pathology

by Jun Sung Park, Riaz Ahmad, Kyonghwan Choe, Min Hwa Kang, Tae Ju Park and Myeong Ok Kim

Vaccines 2023, 11(12), 1820; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11121820 - 05 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1731

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that affects the central nervous system, specifically the motor system. It is mainly caused by the loss of dopamine due to the accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn) protein in the striatum and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Previous studies have reported that immunization may be a potential preventive strategy for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Therefore, the aim of the study was to design an α-syn specific epitope vaccine and investigate its effect in PD-related pathophysiology using an α-syn-induced mouse model. We used an in silico model to identify and design a non-toxic α-syn-based peptide epitope vaccine and, to overcome poor immunogenicity, the vaccine was coupled with immunogenic carrier proteins, i.e., ovalbumin (OVA) and keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH). Our results showed that vaccinated PD mouse models, especially with vaccines with carrier proteins, improved in motor functions compared with the non-vaccinated PD model. Additionally, the vaccinated groups showed increased immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in the spleen and plasma as well as decreased interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels in the plasma. Furthermore, vaccinated groups, especially OVA and KLH groups, showed decrease in α-syn levels and increased dopamine-related markers, i.e., tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), vesicle monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), and dopamine transporter (DAT), and autophagy activities in the striatum and SNpc. Lastly, our data showed decreased neuroinflammation by reducing the activation of microglia and astrocytes and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the immunized groups, especially with OVA and KLH carrier proteins. Overall, these results suggest that vaccination, especially with immunogenic carrier proteins, is effective in reducing the accumulation of α-syn aggregates in the brain and ameliorate PD-related pathophysiology. Hence, further development of this approach might have a potential role in preventing the development of PD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design of Multi-Epitope Subunit Vaccine and Immunization Strategies)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 4516 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Designing a Multi-Epitope Subunit Vaccine against VP1 Major Coat Protein of JC Polyomavirus

by Sukhada Kanse, Mehak Khandelwal, Rajan Kumar Pandey, Manoj Khokhar, Neetin Desai and Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar

Vaccines 2023, 11(7), 1182; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11071182 - 30 Jun 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2918

Abstract

The JC polyomavirus virus (JCPyV) affects more than 80% of the human population in their early life stage. It mainly affects immunocompromised individuals where virus replication in oligodendrocytes and astrocytes may lead to fatal progressive multifocal encephalopathy (PML). Virus protein 1 (VP1) is one of the major structural proteins of the viral capsid, responsible for keeping the virus alive in the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. VP1 is often targeted for antiviral drug and vaccine development. Similarly, this study implied immune-informatics and molecular modeling methods to design a multi-epitope subunit vaccine targeting JCPyV. The VP1 protein epitopic sequences, which are highly conserved, were used to build the vaccine. This designed vaccine includes two adjuvants, five HTL epitopes, five CTL epitopes, and two BCL epitopes to stimulate cellular, humoral, and innate immune responses against the JCPyV. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulation (100 ns) studies were used to examine the interaction and stability of the vaccine protein with TLR4. Trajectory analysis showed that the vaccine and TLR4 receptor form a stable complex. Overall, this study may contribute to the path of vaccine development against JCPyV. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design of Multi-Epitope Subunit Vaccine and Immunization Strategies)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

11 pages, 846 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Safety and Protective Effects of Influenza Vaccination in Pregnant Women on Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes in Pune, India: A Cross-Sectional Study

by Hanif Shaikh, Pranesha Koli, Vaishali Undale, Anil Pardeshi, Mahesh Asalkar, Sushant Sahastrabuddhe, Anand Kawade and Chandrashekhar Upasani

Vaccines 2023, 11(6), 1034; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11061034 - 28 May 2023

Viewed by 1915

Abstract

Background: Maternal influenza vaccination provides effective protection against influenza infections in pregnant women and their newborns. In India, the influenza vaccine has not yet been offered through immunization programs, owing to the lack of sufficient safety data for pregnant Indian women. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study enrolled 558 women admitted to the obstetrics ward of a civic hospital in Pune. Study-related information was obtained from the participants through hospital records and interviews using structured questionnaires. Univariate and multivariable analysis was used, and the chi-square test with adjusted odds ratio was estimated to account for vaccine exposure and the temporal nature of each outcome, respectively. Results: Women not vaccinated against influenza during pregnancy had a higher risk of delivering very LBW infants, and possible protective effects were suggested (AOR 2.29, 95% CI 1.03 to 5.58, p = 0.03). No association was observed between maternal influenza vaccination for Caesarean section (LSCS) (AOR 0.97, 95% CI, 0.78, 1.85), stillbirth (AOR 1.8, 95% CI 0.18, 24.64) and NICU admission (AOR, 0.87, 0.29 to 2.85), and congenital anomaly (AOR, 0.81, 0.10 to 3.87). Interpretation: These results show that the influenza vaccine administered during pregnancy is safe and might lower the risk of negative birth outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design of Multi-Epitope Subunit Vaccine and Immunization Strategies)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 4601 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of GO-Based Protein Interaction Affinities in the Large-Scale Human–Coronavirus Family Interactome

by Soumyendu Sekhar Bandyopadhyay, Anup Kumar Halder, Sovan Saha, Piyali Chatterjee, Mita Nasipuri and Subhadip Basu

Vaccines 2023, 11(3), 549; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11030549 - 25 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1541

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus that replicates itself via interacting with the host proteins. As a result, identifying virus and host protein-protein interactions could help researchers better understand the virus disease transmission behavior and identify possible COVID-19 drugs. The International Committee on Virus Taxonomy has determined that nCoV is genetically 89% compared to the SARS-CoV epidemic in 2003. This paper focuses on assessing the host–pathogen protein interaction affinity of the coronavirus family, having 44 different variants. In light of these considerations, a GO-semantic scoring function is provided based on Gene Ontology (GO) graphs for determining the binding affinity of any two proteins at the organism level. Based on the availability of the GO annotation of the proteins, 11 viral variants, viz., SARS-CoV-2, SARS, MERS, Bat coronavirus HKU3, Bat coronavirus Rp3/2004, Bat coronavirus HKU5, Murine coronavirus, Bovine coronavirus, Rat coronavirus, Bat coronavirus HKU4, Bat coronavirus 133/2005, are considered from 44 viral variants. The fuzzy scoring function of the entire host–pathogen network has been processed with ~180 million potential interactions generated from 19,281 host proteins and around 242 viral proteins. ~4.5 million potential level one host–pathogen interactions are computed based on the estimated interaction affinity threshold. The resulting host–pathogen interactome is also validated with state-of-the-art experimental networks. The study has also been extended further toward the drug-repurposing study by analyzing the FDA-listed COVID drugs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design of Multi-Epitope Subunit Vaccine and Immunization Strategies)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 3244 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determination of Conformational and Functional Stability of Potential Plague Vaccine Candidate in Formulation

by Krubha Athirathinam, Selvasudha Nandakumar, Shailendra Kumar Verma and Ruckmani Kandasamy

Vaccines 2023, 11(1), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11010027 - 23 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1903

Abstract

Generally, protein-based vaccines are available in liquid form and are highly susceptible to instability under elevated temperature changes including freezing conditions. There is a need to create a convenient formulation of protein/peptides that can be stored at ambient conditions without loss of activity or production of adverse effects. The efficiency of naturally occurring biocompatible polymer dextran in improving the shelf-life and biological activity of a highly thermally unstable plague vaccine candidate protein called Low Calcium Response V antigen (LcrV), which can be stored at room temperature (30 ± 2 °C), has been evaluated. To determine the preferential interactions with molecular-level insight into solvent–protein interactions, analytical techniques such asspectroscopy, particle size distribution, gel electrophoresis, microscopy, and thermal analysis have been performed along with the evaluation of humoral immune response, invivo. The analytical methods demonstrate the structural stability of the LcrV protein by expressing its interaction with the excipients in the formulation. The invivo studies elicited the biological activity of the formulated antigen with a significantly higher humoral immune response (p-value = 0.047) when compared to the native, adjuvanted antigen. We propose dextran as a potential biopolymer with its co-excipient sodium chloride (NaCl) to provide protein compactness, i.e., prevent protein unfolding by molecular crowding or masking mechanism using preferential hydrophobic interaction for up to three weeks at room temperature (30 ± 2 °C). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design of Multi-Epitope Subunit Vaccine and Immunization Strategies)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 2699 KiB

Open AccessReview

Outer Membrane Vesicles: An Emerging Vaccine Platform

by Dharmendra Kashyap, Mrutyunjaya Panda, Budhadev Baral, Nidhi Varshney, Sajitha R, Vasundhra Bhandari, Hamendra Singh Parmar, Amit Prasad and Hem Chandra Jha

Vaccines 2022, 10(10), 1578; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10101578 - 21 Sep 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4007

Abstract

Vaccine adjuvants are substances that improve the immune capacity of a recombinant vaccine to a great extent and have been in use since the early 1900s; they are primarily short-lived and initiate antigen activity, mainly an inflammatory response. With the developing technologies and innovation, early options such as alum were modified, yet the inorganic nature of major vaccine adjuvants caused several side effects. Outer membrane vesicles, which respond to the stressed environment, are small nano-sized particles secreted by gram-negative bacteria. The secretory nature of OMV gives us many benefits in terms of infection bioengineering. This article aims to provide a detailed overview of bacteria’s outer membrane vesicles (OMV) and their potential usage as adjuvants in making OMV-based vaccines. The OMV adjuvant-based vaccines can be a great benefactor, and there are ongoing trials for formulating OMV adjuvant-based vaccines for SARS-CoV-2. This study emphasizes engineering the OMVs to develop better versions for safety purposes. This article will also provide a gist about the advantages and disadvantages of such vaccines, along with other aspects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design of Multi-Epitope Subunit Vaccine and Immunization Strategies)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

40 pages, 6932 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Advances in Glioma Cancer Treatment: Conventional and Epigenetic Realms

by Mohsen Karami Fath, Kimiya Babakhaniyan, Mehran Anjomrooz, Mohammadrasoul Jalalifar, Seyed Danial Alizadeh, Zeinab Pourghasem, Parisa Abbasi Oshagh, Ali Azargoonjahromi, Faezeh Almasi, Hafza Zahira Manzoor, Bahman Khalesi, Navid Pourzardosht, Saeed Khalili and Zahra Payandeh

Vaccines 2022, 10(9), 1448; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10091448 - 02 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4648

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most typical and aggressive form of primary brain tumor in adults, with a poor prognosis. Successful glioma treatment is hampered by ineffective medication distribution across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the emergence of drug resistance. Although a few FDA-approved multimodal treatments are available for glioblastoma, most patients still have poor prognoses. Targeting epigenetic variables, immunotherapy, gene therapy, and different vaccine- and peptide-based treatments are some innovative approaches to improve anti-glioma treatment efficacy. Following the identification of lymphatics in the central nervous system, immunotherapy offers a potential method with the potency to permeate the blood-brain barrier. This review will discuss the rationale, tactics, benefits, and drawbacks of current glioma therapy options in clinical and preclinical investigations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design of Multi-Epitope Subunit Vaccine and Immunization Strategies)

► Show Figures