Novel prophylactic and therapeutic multi-epitope vaccine based on Ag85A, Ag85B, ESAT-6, and CFP-10 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using an immunoinformatics approach
10.24171/j.phrp.2023.0372
- Author:
Muhammad Fikri NUGRAHA
1
;
Daniel Alexander CHANGESTU
;
Rizky RAMADHAN
;
Tasya SALSABILA
;
Arsila NURIZATI
;
Sari Eka PRATIWI
;
Ysrafil YSRAFIL
Author Information
1. Medical Program, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Tanjungpura, Pontianak, Indonesia
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:
Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives
2024;15(4):286-306
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Objectives:Current tuberculosis (TB) control strategies face limitations, such as low antibiotic treatment compliance and a rise in multidrug resistance. Furthermore, the lack of a safeand effective vaccine compounds these challenges. The limited efficacy of existing vaccines against TB underscores the urgency for innovative strategies, such as immunoinformatics.Consequently, this study aimed to design a targeted multi-epitope vaccine against TB infectionutilizing an immunoinformatics approach.
Methods:The multi-epitope vaccine targeted Ag85A, Ag85B, ESAT-6, and CFP-10 proteins. The design adopted various immunoinformatics tools for cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), helper T lymphocyte (HTL), and linear B lymphocyte (LBL) epitope prediction, the assessment of vaccine characteristics, structure modeling, population coverage analysis, disulfide engineering, solubility prediction, molecular docking/dynamics with toll-like receptors (TLRs), codon optimization/cloning, and immune simulation.
Results:The multi-epitope vaccine, which was assembled using 12 CTL, 25 HTL, and 21 LBL epitopesassociated with CpG adjuvants, showed promising characteristics. The immunoinformaticsanalysis confirmed the antigenicity, immunogenicity, and lack of allergenicity. Physicochemical evaluations indicated that the proteins were stable, thermostable, hydrophilic, and highly soluble. Docking simulations suggested high-affinity binding to TLRs, including TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9. In silico immune simulation predicted strong T cell (cytokine release) and B cell(immunoglobulin release) responses.
Conclusion:This immunoinformatics-designed multi-epitope vaccine targeting Ag85A, Ag85B, ESAT-6, and CFP-10 proteins showed promising characteristics in terms of stability, immunogenicity, antigenicity, solubility, and predicted induction of humoral and adaptive immune responses. This suggests its potential as a prophylactic and therapeutic vaccineagainst TB.
