Towards the knowledge-based design of universal influenza epitope ensemble vaccines


Autoria(s): Sheikh, Qamar M.; Gatherer, Derek; Reche, Pedro A.; Flower, Darren R.
Data(s)

01/11/2016

Resumo

Motivation: Influenza A viral heterogeneity remains a significant threat due to unpredictable antigenic drift in seasonal influenza and antigenic shifts caused by the emergence of novel subtypes. Annual review of multivalent influenza vaccines targets strains of influenza A and B likely to be predominant in future influenza seasons. This does not induce broad, cross protective immunity against emergent subtypes. Better strategies are needed to prevent future pandemics. Cross-protection can be achieved by activating CD8+ and CD4+ T cells against highly-conserved regions of the influenza genome. We combine available experimental data with informatics-based immunological predictions to help design vaccines potentially able to induce cross-protective T-cells against multiple influenza subtypes. Results: To exemplify our approach we designed two epitope ensemble vaccines comprising highly-conserved and experimentally-verified immunogenic influenza A epitopes as putative non-seasonal influenza vaccines; one specifically targets the US population and the other is a universal vaccine. The USA-specific vaccine comprised 6 CD8+ T cell epitopes (GILGFVFTL, FMYSDFHFI, GMDPRMCSL, SVKEKDMTK, FYIQMCTEL, DTVNRTHQY) and 3 CD4+ epitopes (KGILGFVFTLTVPSE, EYIMKGVYINTALLN, ILGFVFTLTVPSERG). The universal vaccine comprised 8 CD8+ epitopes: (FMYSDFHFI, GILGFVFTL, ILRGSVAHK, FYIQMCTEL, ILKGKFQTA, YYLEKANKI, VSDGGPNLY, YSHGTGTGY) and the same 3 CD4+ epitopes. Our USA-specific vaccine has a population protection coverage (portion of the population potentially responsive to one or more component epitopes of the vaccine, PPC) of over 96% and 95% coverage of observed influenza subtypes. The universal vaccine has a PPC value of over 97% and 88% coverage of observed subtypes.

Formato

application/pdf

Identificador

http://eprints.aston.ac.uk/28469/1/Knowledge_based_design_of_universal_influenza_epitope_ensemble_vaccines.pdf

Sheikh, Qamar M.; Gatherer, Derek; Reche, Pedro A. and Flower, Darren R. (2016). Towards the knowledge-based design of universal influenza epitope ensemble vaccines. Bioinformatics, 32 (21), pp. 3233-3239.

Relação

http://eprints.aston.ac.uk/28469/

Tipo

Article

PeerReviewed