Computer-aided designing of a novel multi‑epitope DNA vaccine against severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus

BMC Infect Dis. 2024 May 7;24(1):476. doi: 10.1186/s12879-024-09361-6.

Abstract

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne viral disease caused by the SFTS virus (Dabie bandavirus), which has become a substantial risk to public health. No specific treatment is available now, that calls for an effective vaccine. Given this, we aimed to develop a multi-epitope DNA vaccine through the help of bioinformatics. The final DNA vaccine was inserted into a special plasmid vector pVAX1, consisting of CD8+ T cell epitopes, CD4+ T cell epitopes and B cell epitopes (six epitopes each) screened from four genome-encoded proteins--nuclear protein (NP), glycoprotein (GP), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), as well as nonstructural protein (NSs). To ascertain if the predicted structure would be stable and successful in preventing infection, an immunological simulation was run on it. In conclusion, we designed a multi-epitope DNA vaccine that is expected to be effective against Dabie bandavirus, but in vivo trials are needed to verify this claim.

Keywords: Bioinformatics; Cellular immune responses; DNA vaccine; Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome; pVAX1.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Computational Biology
  • Computer-Aided Design
  • Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / genetics
  • Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / immunology
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte* / genetics
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte* / immunology
  • Humans
  • Phlebovirus* / genetics
  • Phlebovirus* / immunology
  • Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome* / immunology
  • Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome* / prevention & control
  • Vaccines, DNA* / genetics
  • Vaccines, DNA* / immunology
  • Viral Vaccines* / genetics
  • Viral Vaccines* / immunology

Substances

  • Vaccines, DNA
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • Viral Vaccines
  • Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte