Broad Spectrum Peptide Vaccine Design Against Hepatitis C Virus

10/2/2018 12:00:00 AM

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Authors: Sherly Kurnia Dewi, Ali Soegianto, Vivitri Dewi Prasasty
Publication date: Jan 2019, Accepted 28 September 2018
Current Computer-Aided Drug Design
Volume:  15 (2); 120-135
Link: http://www.eurekaselect.com/165917/article

Abstract: Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global burden. There is no peptide vac- cine found as modality to cure the disease is available due to the weak cellular immune response and the limitation to induce humoral immune response.
Methods: Five predominated  HCV subtypes in Indonesia (1a, 1b, 1c, 3a, and 3k) were aligned and the conserved regions were selected. Twenty alleles of class I MHC including HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA- C types were used to predict the potential  epitopes by using NetMHCPan  and IEDB. Eight alleles of HLA-DRB1,  together  with  a combination  of 3 alleles  of HLA-DQA1  and 5 alleles  of HLA-DQB1 were utilized  for Class II MHC epitopes prediction  using NetMHCIIPan  and IEDB.   LBtope and Ig- Pred were used to predict B cells epitopes. Moreover, proteasome  analysis was performed by NetCTL and the stability  of the epitopes in HLA was calculated  using NetMHCStabPan  for Class I. All pre- dicted   epitopes   were  analyzed   for  its  antigenicity,   toxicity,   and  stability.   Population   coverage, molecular docking and molecular dynamics were performed for several best epitopes.
Results: The results showed  that two best epitopes  from envelop  protein, GHRMAWDMMMNWSP (E1) and PALSTGLIHLHQN (E2) were selected as promising B cell and CD8+ T cell inducers. Other two  peptides,  LGIGTVLDQAETAG  and  VLVLNPSVAATLGF,  taken  from  NS3  protein  were  se- lected as CD4+ T cell inducer.
Conclusion:  This study suggested  the utilization of all four peptides to make a combinational  peptide vaccine for in vivo study to prove its ability in inducing secondary response toward HCV.