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Ferreira-Sena EP, Hardoim DDJ, Cardoso FDO, d'Escoffier LN, Soares IF, Carvalho JPRDS, Angnes RA, Fragoso SP, Alves CR, De-Simone SG, Lima-Junior JDC, Bertho AL, Zaverucha-do-Valle T, da Silva FS, Calabrese KDS. A New Strategy for Mapping Epitopes of LACK and PEPCK Proteins of Leishmania amazonensis Specific for Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065972. [PMID: 36983046 PMCID: PMC10054446 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis represents a complex of diseases with a broad clinical spectrum and epidemiological diversity, considered a major public health problem. Although there is treatment, there are still no vaccines for cutaneous leishmaniasis. Because Leishmania spp. is an intracellular protozoan with several escape mechanisms, a vaccine must provoke cellular and humoral immune responses. Previously, we identified the Leishmania homolog of receptors for activated C kinase (LACK) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) proteins as strong immunogens and candidates for the development of a vaccine strategy. The present work focuses on the in silico prediction and characterization of antigenic epitopes that might interact with mice or human major histocompatibility complex class I. After immunogenicity prediction on the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) and the Database of MHC Ligands and Peptide Motifs (SYFPEITHI), 26 peptides were selected for interaction assays with infected mouse lymphocytes by flow cytometry and ELISpot. This strategy identified nine antigenic peptides (pL1-H2, pPL3-H2, pL10-HLA, pP13-H2, pP14-H2, pP15-H2, pP16-H2, pP17-H2, pP18-H2, pP26-HLA), which are strong candidates for developing a peptide vaccine against leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edlainne Pinheiro Ferreira-Sena
- Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil
| | - Daiana de Jesus Hardoim
- Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil
| | - Flavia de Oliveira Cardoso
- Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil
| | - Luiz Ney d'Escoffier
- Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil
| | - Isabela Ferreira Soares
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil
| | - João Pedro Rangel da Silva Carvalho
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Proteínas e Peptídeos, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Almir Angnes
- Laboratório de Síntese Química, Instituto de Biologia Molecular do Paraná, Curitiba 81350-010, PR, Brazil
| | - Stenio Perdigão Fragoso
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Sistêmica de Tripanossomatídeos, Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Curitiba 81350-010, PR, Brazil
| | - Carlos Roberto Alves
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil
| | - Salvatore Giovanni De-Simone
- Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS)/National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation in Diseases of Neglected Populations (INCT-IDPN), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Molecular Systematics (LESM), Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil
- Post-Graduation Program in Science and Biotechnology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Biology Institute, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói 22040-036, RJ, Brazil
| | - Josué da Costa Lima-Junior
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil
| | - Alvaro Luiz Bertho
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil
- Plataforma de Citometria, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil
| | - Tânia Zaverucha-do-Valle
- Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil
| | - Franklin Souza da Silva
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil
- Faculdade de Biologia e Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Iguaçu, Dom Rodrigo, Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro 26275-580, RJ, Brazil
| | - Kátia da Silva Calabrese
- Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil
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Immunoprophylaxis using polypeptide chimera vaccines plus adjuvant system promote Th1 response controlling the spleen parasitism in hamster model of visceral leishmaniasis. Vaccine 2022; 40:5494-5503. [PMID: 35963820 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, several advances have been observed in vaccinology especially for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). One of the tools employed is epitope prediction by immunoinformatic approaches that reduce the time and cost to develop a vaccine. In this scenario, immunoinformatics is being more often used to develop vaccines for NTDs, in particular visceral leishmaniasis (VL) which is proven not to have an effective vaccine yet. Based on that, in a previous study, two predicted T-cell multi-epitope chimera vaccines were experimentally validated in BALB/c mice to evaluate the immunogenicity, central and effector memory and protection against VL. Considering the results obtained in the mouse model, we assessed the immune response of these chimeras inMesocricetus auratushamster, which displays, experimentally, similar pathological status to human and dog VL disease. Our findings indicate that both chimeras lead to a dominant Th1 response profile, inducing a strong cellular response by increasing the production of IFN-γ and TNF-α cytokines associated with a decrease in IL-10. Also, the chimeras reduced the spleen parasite load and the weight a correlation between protector immunological mechanisms and consistent reduction of the parasitic load was observed. Our results demonstrate that both chimeras were immunogenic and corroborate with findings in the mouse model. Therefore, we reinforce the use of the hamster as a pre-clinical model in vaccination trials for canine and human VL and the importance of immunoinformatic to identify epitopes to design vaccines for this important neglected disease.
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Saha S, Vashishtha S, Kundu B, Ghosh M. In-silico design of an immunoinformatics based multi-epitope vaccine against Leishmania donovani. BMC Bioinformatics 2022; 23:319. [PMID: 35931960 PMCID: PMC9354309 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-022-04816-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a fatal vector-borne parasitic disorder occurring mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. VL falls under the category of neglected tropical diseases with growing drug resistance and lacking a licensed vaccine. Conventional vaccine synthesis techniques are often very laborious and challenging. With the advancement of bioinformatics and its application in immunology, it is now more convenient to design multi-epitope vaccines comprising predicted immuno-dominant epitopes of multiple antigenic proteins. We have chosen four antigenic proteins of Leishmania donovani and identified their T-cell and B-cell epitopes, utilizing those for in-silico chimeric vaccine designing. The various physicochemical characteristics of the vaccine have been explored and the tertiary structure of the chimeric construct is predicted to perform docking studies and molecular dynamics simulations. RESULTS The vaccine construct is generated by joining the epitopes with specific linkers. The predicted tertiary structure of the vaccine has been found to be valid and docking studies reveal the construct shows a high affinity towards the TLR-4 receptor. Population coverage analysis shows the vaccine can be effective on the majority of the world population. In-silico immune simulation studies confirms the vaccine to raise a pro-inflammatory response with the proliferation of activated T and B cells. In-silico codon optimization and cloning of the vaccine nucleic acid sequence have also been achieved in the pET28a vector. CONCLUSION The above bioinformatics data support that the construct may act as a potential vaccine. Further wet lab synthesis of the vaccine and in vivo works has to be undertaken in animal model to confirm vaccine potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhadip Saha
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, Durgapur, 713209, India
| | - Shubham Vashishtha
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Bishwajit Kundu
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Monidipa Ghosh
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, Durgapur, 713209, India.
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Mazire PH, Saha B, Roy A. Immunotherapy for visceral leishmaniasis: A trapeze of balancing counteractive forces. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 110:108969. [PMID: 35738089 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.108969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani, residing and replicating within the cells of the monocyte-macrophage (mono-mac) lineage, causes visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in humans. While, Leishmania infantum, is the main causative agent for zoonotic VL, where dogs are the main reservoirs of the disease. The chemotherapy is a serious problem because of restricted repertoire of drugs, drug-resistant parasites, drug-toxicity and the requirement for parenteral administration, which is a problem in resource-starved countries. Moreover, immunocompromised individuals, particularly HIV-1 infected are at higher risk of VL due to impairment in T-helper cell and regulatory cell responses. Furthermore, HIV-VL co-infected patients report poor response to conventional chemotherapy. Recent efforts are therefore directed towards devising both prophylactic and therapeutic immunomodulation. As far as prophylaxis is concerned, although canine vaccines for the disease caused by Leishmania infantum or Leishmania chagasi are available, no vaccine is available for use in humans till date. Therefore, anti-leishmanial immunotherapy triggering or manipulating the host's immune response is gaining momentum during the last two decades. Immunomodulators comprised of small molecules, anti-leishmanial peptides, complex ligands for host receptors, cytokines or their agonists and antibodies have been given trials both in experimental models and in humans. However, the success of immunotherapy in humans remains a far-off target. We, therefore, propose that devising a successful immunotherapy is an act of balancing enhanced beneficial Leishmania-specific responses and deleterious immune activation/hyperinflammation just as the swings in a trapeze.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka H Mazire
- Department of Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind Road, Pune 411007, India
| | - Bhaskar Saha
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind Road, Pune 411007, India
| | - Amit Roy
- Department of Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind Road, Pune 411007, India.
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da Silva W, da Rocha Torres N, de Melo Agripino J, da Silva VHF, de Souza ACA, Ribeiro IC, de Oliveira TA, de Souza LA, Andrade LKR, de Moraes JVB, Diogo MA, de Castro RB, Polêto MD, Afonso LCC, Fietto JLR. ENTPDases from Pathogenic Trypanosomatids and Purinergic Signaling: Shedding Light towards Biotechnological Applications. Curr Top Med Chem 2021; 21:213-226. [PMID: 33019932 DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666201005125146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
ENTPDases are enzymes known for hydrolyzing extracellular nucleotides and playing an essential role in controlling the nucleotide signaling via nucleotide/purinergic receptors P2. Moreover, ENTPDases, together with Ecto-5´-nucleotidase activity, affect the adenosine signaling via P1 receptors. These signals control many biological processes, including the immune system. In this context, ATP is considered as a trigger to inflammatory signaling, while adenosine (Ado) induces anti-inflammatory response. The trypanosomatids Leishmania and Trypanosoma cruzi, pathogenic agents of Leishmaniasis and Chagas Disease, respectively, have their own ENTPDases named "TpENTPDases," which can affect the nucleotide signaling, adhesion and infection, in order to favor the parasite. Besides, TpENTPDases are essential for the parasite nutrition, since the Purine De Novo synthesis pathway is absent in them, which makes these pathogens dependent on the intake of purines and nucleopurines for the Salvage Pathway, in which TpENTPDases also take place. Here, we review information regarding TpNTPDases, including their known biological roles and their effect on the purinergic signaling. We also highlight the roles of these enzymes in parasite infection and their biotechnological applications, while pointing to future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walmir da Silva
- Departamento de Bioquimica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Nancy da Rocha Torres
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Joice de Melo Agripino
- Departamento de Bioquimica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Anna Cláudia Alves de Souza
- Departamento de Bioquimica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Isadora Cunha Ribeiro
- Departamento de Bioquimica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Luciana Angelo de Souza
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | - Marcel Arruda Diogo
- Departamento de Bioquimica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Raíssa Barbosa de Castro
- Departamento de Bioquimica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Depolo Polêto
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luis Carlos Crocco Afonso
- Nucleo de Pesquisa em Ciencias Biologicas (NUPEB), Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juliana Lopes Rangel Fietto
- Departamento de Bioquimica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Ostolin TLVDP, Gusmão MR, Mathias FAS, Cardoso JMDO, Roatt BM, Aguiar-Soares RDDO, Ruiz JC, Resende DDM, de Brito RCF, Reis AB. A chimeric vaccine combined with adjuvant system induces immunogenicity and protection against visceral leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice. Vaccine 2021; 39:2755-2763. [PMID: 33875268 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
In Brazil, canine visceral leishmaniasis is an important public health problem due to its alarming growth. The high prevalence of infected dogs reinforces the need for a vaccine for use in prophylactic vaccination campaigns. In the present study, we evaluate the immunogenicity and protection of the best dose of Chimera A selected through the screening of cytokines production important in disease. BALB/c mice were vaccinated subcutaneously with three doses and challenged intravenously with 1 × 107L. infantum promastigotes. Spleen samples were collected to assess the intracellular cytokine profile production, T cell proliferation and parasite load. At first, three different doses of Chimera A (5 μg, 10 μg and 20 μg) were evaluated through the production of IFN-γ and IL-10 cytokines. Since the dose of 20 μg showed the best results, it was chosen to continue the study. Secondarily, Chimera A at dose of 20 μg was formulated with Saponin plus Monophosphoryl lipid A. Vaccination with Chimera A alone and formulated with SM adjuvant system was able to increase the percentage of the proliferation of specific T lymphocytes and stimulated a Th1 response with increased levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-2, and decreased of IL-4 and IL-10. The vaccine efficacy through real-time PCR demonstrated a reduction in the splenic parasite load in animals that received Chimera A formulated with the SM adjuvant system (92%). Additionally, we observed increased levels of nitric oxide in stimulated-culture supernatants. The Chimera A formulated with the SM adjuvant system was potentially immunogenic, being able to induce immunoprotective mechanisms and reduce parasite load. Therefore, the use of T-cell multi-epitope vaccine is promising against visceral leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Miriã Rodrigues Gusmão
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas (NUPEB), Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - Fernando Augusto Siqueira Mathias
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas (NUPEB), Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil; Grupo Informática de Biossistemas e Genômica, Instituto René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Bruno Mendes Roatt
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas (NUPEB), Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Doenças Tropicais (INCT-DT), Salvador, Brazil
| | | | - Jeronimo Conceição Ruiz
- Grupo Informática de Biossistemas e Genômica, Instituto René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Daniela de Melo Resende
- Grupo Informática de Biossistemas e Genômica, Instituto René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Rory Cristiane Fortes de Brito
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas (NUPEB), Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Barbosa Reis
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas (NUPEB), Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Doenças Tropicais (INCT-DT), Salvador, Brazil.
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Leishmania eukaryotic elongation Factor-1 beta protein is immunogenic and induces parasitological protection in mice against Leishmania infantum infection. Microb Pathog 2021; 151:104745. [PMID: 33485994 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.104745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Treatment for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is hampered mainly by the toxicity and/or high cost of antileishmanial drugs. What is more, variability on sensitivity and/or specificity of diagnostic tests hinders effective disease management. In this context, prophylactic vaccination should be considered as a strategy to prevent disease. In the present study, immunogenicity of the Leishmania eukaryotic Elongation Factor-1 beta (EF1b) protein, classified as a Leishmania virulence factor, was evaluated in vitro and in vivo and tested, for the first time, as a vaccine candidate against Leishmania infantum infection. The antigen was administered as DNA vaccine or as recombinant protein (rEF1b) delivered in saponin. BALB/c mice immunization with a DNA plasmid and recombinant protein plus saponin induced development of specific Th1-type immunity, characterized by high levels of IFN-γ, IL-12, GM-CSF, both T cell subtypes and antileishmanial IgG2a isotype antibodies, before and after infection. This immunological response to the vaccines was corroborated further by parasitological analysis of the vaccinated and then challenged mice, which showed significant reductions in the parasite load in their liver, spleen, bone marrow and draining lymph nodes, when compared to the controls. Vaccination using rEF1b/saponin induced a more robust Th1 response and parasitological protection when compared to the DNA vaccine. Furthermore, in vitro analysis of lymphoproliferation, IFN-γ and IL-10 levels in human PBMC cultures showed as well development of a specific Th1-type response. In conclusion, data suggest that EF1b could be a promising vaccine candidate to protect against L. infantum infection.
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8
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Rabienia M, Roudbari Z, Ghanbariasad A, Abdollahi A, Mohammadi E, Mortazavidehkordi N, Farjadfar A. Exploring membrane proteins of Leishmania major to design a new multi-epitope vaccine using immunoinformatics approach. Eur J Pharm Sci 2020; 152:105423. [PMID: 32534195 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2020.105423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is one of the major global endemic diseases. Among all the different forms of the disease, cutaneous Leishmaniasis has the highest prevalence worldwide. Treatment with current drugs has not had a significant effect on the improvement of the disease. An attempt to replace an appropriate vaccine that can stimulate host cellular immunity and induce the response of Major histocompatibility complex I (MHCI) and Major histocompatibility complex II (MHCII) against Leishmania is essential. Vaccine production remains a challenge despite the use of different antigens for vaccination against Leishmania major. Hence, we were used the immunoinformatics approach to design a new multi-epitope vaccine against L. major using immunogenic outer membrane proteins. Helper T-lymphocyte (HTL) and Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes were predicted and for final confirmation of the selected epitopes, docking analysis, and molecular dynamics simulation was performed. Then, GDGDG linker and profilin adjuvant were added to enhance the immunity of vaccines. The designed vaccine was evaluated in terms of molecular weight, PI, immunogenicity, and allergenicity. Moreover, the secondary and three-dimensional structure of the final construct was identified. In silico cloning approach was carried out to improve expression of the vaccine construct. Finally, molecular docking, followed by molecular dynamic was performed to determine the interaction between multi-epitope vaccine and TLR11. We hope that the designed vaccine can be a good candidate for the development of cutaneous leishmaniasis vaccine. but its effectiveness should be assessed in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Rabienia
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Zahra Roudbari
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran
| | - Ali Ghanbariasad
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Abbas Abdollahi
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Elyas Mohammadi
- Department of Animal Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | | | - Akbar Farjadfar
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.
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9
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Oliveira-da-Silva JA, Machado AS, Ramos FF, Tavares GSV, Lage DP, Mendonça DVC, Pereira IAG, Santos TTO, Martins VT, Carvalho LM, Freitas CS, Ludolf F, Reis TAR, Bandeira RS, Silva AM, Costa LE, Oliveira JS, Duarte MC, Roatt BM, Teixeira AL, Coelho EAF. A Leishmania amastigote-specific hypothetical protein evaluated as recombinant protein plus Th1 adjuvant or DNA plasmid-based vaccine to protect against visceral leishmaniasis. Cell Immunol 2020; 356:104194. [PMID: 32827943 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2020.104194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Most studies evaluating vaccine candidates against visceral leishmaniasis (VL) have used parasite promastigote-expressed antigens; however, Leishmania proteins expressed in the amastigote forms should be considered, since few hours after infection this stage comes into contact with the host immune system and is responsible for the development of the disease. In this context, in the present study, a Leishmania amastigote-specific hypothetical protein, called LiHyJ, was evaluated as a recombinant protein plus saponin as an adjuvant or DNA vaccine to protect against VL. The vaccine effect was evaluated by means of the evaluation of immunological and parasitological analyses performed in BALB/c mice against Leishmania infantum infection. Results showed that rLiHyJ/saponin and DNA LiHyJ induced significantly higher levels of anti-protein and anti-parasite IFN-γ, IL-12, GM-CSF, and IgG2a isotype antibodies, which were associated with a low presence of IL-4 and IL-10. DNA vaccination induced higher IFN-γ production, mainly by CD8+ T cells, while rLiHyJ/saponin stimulated the production of this cytokine, mainly by CD4+ T cells. The parasite load evaluated in distinct organs showed that both immunization schedules significantly reduced organic parasitism, when compared to the controls. Similar results were found in the immunological and parasitological assays when using the recombinant protein or DNA, although the vaccination with rLiHyJ plus saponin induced a slightly higher Th1 response and lower parasite load, when compared to the use of DNA plasmid. The protein also proved to be immunogenic when peripheral blood mononuclear cells of treated VL patients and healthy subjects were in vitro stimulated, since higher IFN-γ and lower IL-4 and IL-10 levels were found in the culture supernatants. In conclusion, LiHyJ should be considered in future studies as a vaccine candidate to protect against VL.
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Affiliation(s)
- João A Oliveira-da-Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Amanda S Machado
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda F Ramos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Grasiele S V Tavares
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniela P Lage
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Débora V C Mendonça
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Isabela A G Pereira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thaís T O Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vívian T Martins
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lívia M Carvalho
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas/NUPEB, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Camila S Freitas
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Ludolf
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thiago A R Reis
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Raquel S Bandeira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Alessandra M Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lourena E Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jamil S Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mariana C Duarte
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Patologia Clínica, COLTEC, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Bruno M Roatt
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas/NUPEB, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Antônio L Teixeira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Eduardo A F Coelho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Patologia Clínica, COLTEC, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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A candidate vaccine for human visceral leishmaniasis based on a specific T cell epitope-containing chimeric protein protects mice against Leishmania infantum infection. NPJ Vaccines 2020; 5:75. [PMID: 32821440 PMCID: PMC7426426 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-020-00224-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniases are neglected diseases caused by infection with Leishmania parasites and there are currently no prophylactic vaccines. In this study, we designed in silico a synthetic recombinant vaccine against visceral leishmaniasis (VL) called ChimeraT, which contains specific T-cell epitopes from Leishmania Prohibitin, Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 5a and the hypothetical LiHyp1 and LiHyp2 proteins. Subcutaneous delivery of ChimeraT plus saponin stimulated a Th1 cell-mediated immune response and protected mice against L. infantum infection, significantly reducing the parasite load in distinct organs. ChimeraT/saponin vaccine stimulated significantly higher levels of IFN-γ, IL-12, and GM-CSF cytokines by both murine CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, with correspondingly low levels of IL-4 and IL-10. Induced antibodies were predominantly IgG2a isotype and homologous antigen-stimulated spleen cells produced significant nitrite as a proxy for nitric oxide. ChimeraT also induced lymphoproliferative responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from VL patients after treatment and healthy subjects, as well as higher IFN-γ and lower IL-10 secretion into cell supernatants. Thus, ChimeraT associated with a Th1 adjuvant could be considered as a potential vaccine candidate to protect against human disease.
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11
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Oliveira-da-Silva JA, Lage DP, Ramos FF, Machado AS, Tavares GS, Mendonça DV, Pereira IA, Martins VT, Carvalho LM, Ludolf F, Santos TT, Reis TA, Oliveira CS, Bandeira RS, Silva AM, Costa LE, Oliveira JS, Duarte MC, Menezes-Souza D, Roatt BM, Teixeira AL, Coelho EA. Leishmania infantum pyridoxal kinase evaluated in a recombinant protein and DNA vaccine to protects against visceral leishmaniasis. Mol Immunol 2020; 124:161-171. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2020.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Suman SS, Kumar A, Singh AK, Amit A, Topno RK, Pandey K, Das VNR, Das P, Ali V, Bimal S. Dendritic cell engineered cTXN as new vaccine prospect against L. donovani. Cytokine 2020; 145:155208. [PMID: 32736961 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs), as antigen-presenting cells, can reportedly be infected withLeishmaniaparasites and hence provide a better option to trigger T-cell primary immune responses and immunological memory. We consistently primed DCs during culture with purified recombinant cytosolic tryparedoxin (rcTXN) and then evaluated the vaccine prospect of presentation of rcTXN against VL in BALB/c mice. We reported earlier the immunogenic properties of cTXN antigen derived fromL. donovani when anti-cTXN antibody was detected in the sera of kala-azar patients. It was observed that cTXN antigen, when used as an immunogen with murine DCs acting as a vehicle, was able to induce complete protection against VL in an infected group of immunized mice. This vaccination triggered splenic macrophages to produce more IL-12 and GM-CSF, and restricted IL-10 release to a minimum in an immunized group of infected animals. Concomitant changes in T-cell responses against cTXN antigen were also noticed, which increased the release of protective cytokine-like IFN-γ under the influence of NF-κβ in the indicated vaccinated group of animals. All cTXN-DCs-vaccinated BALB/c mice survived during the experimental period of 120 days. The results obtained in our study suggest that DCs primed with cTXN can be used as a vaccine prospect for the control of visceral leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashi S Suman
- Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Akhilesh Kumar
- Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Ashish K Singh
- Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Ajay Amit
- Department of Forensic Science, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur (C.G.) 495009, India
| | - R K Topno
- Department of Epidemiology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - K Pandey
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - V N R Das
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - P Das
- Department of Molecular Biology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Vahab Ali
- Department of Biochemistry, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Sanjiva Bimal
- Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India.
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Conversion of asymptomatic infection to symptomatic visceral leishmaniasis: A study of possible immunological markers. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008272. [PMID: 32555598 PMCID: PMC7326279 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Presence of asymptomatic individuals in endemic areas is common. The possible biomarkers in asymptomatic individuals once they get exposed to infection as well as following conversion to symptomatic disease are yet to be identified.We identified asymptomatic Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) infection amongst rK39+sorted direct agglutination test positive (DAT+) endemic healthy population and confirmed it by quantitative PCR(qPCR).The immunological determinants such as Adenosine deaminase (ADA), Interferon gamma (IFN-γ), Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α) and Interleukin 10 (IL-10)were examined to predict probable biomarkers for conversion to symptomatic VL. Methods Sample size was 5794 healthy individuals from VL endemic region. Antibody tests(DAT &rK39) were performed and later a qPCR assay was employed using kDNA specific primers and probes. Immunological biomarkers examined were ADA level by ADA–MTP kit and quantitative cytokines(IFN-γ, IL-10 and TNF-α) by ELISA. Results 120 asymptomatic individuals of 308 rK39 sero-positives were DAT positive comprising of 56 with previous history and 64 with no history of VL. RT-PCR confirmed asymptomatic VL in 42 sero-positives. These were followed up through repeated qPCR and evaluation of immunological determinants. We observed10 symptomatic cases converted from a total of 42 asymptomatic individuals identified at base-line. The level of ADA, IL-10 and IFN-γ remained consistently high in asymptomatic cases and amongst these, ADA and IL-10 but not IFN-γ remained higher at the development of clinical symptoms into active VL. On the contrary, there was no significant change in the mean concentration of TNF-α at both stages of the disease. Discussion We surmise from our data that considerable proportion of asymptomatic cases can be a reservoir and may play a crucial role in transmission of visceral leishmaniasis in endemic areas. The data also suggests that ADA and IL-10 can serve as a potential biomarker during the conversion of asymptomatic into symptomatic VL. The most threatening form of leishmaniasis is human visceral leishmaniasis, which is caused by L. donovani in Indian subcontinent. The disease accounts for huge annual burden of infectious disease in India. Efforts towards disease elimination programme are far beyond satisfaction and there is need to re-strengthen health monitoring, surveillance programme in endemic areas. There is a greater need to identify asymptomatic individuals amongst endemic healthy control by active surveillance programme. Further, except a few, many asymptomatic subjects become sero-negative without developing VL due to strong inherent cellular immunity possessed by them. This study enumerates use of rK39, DAT and quantitative PCR(qPCR) in asymptomatic detection and then evaluate immunological biomarkers(Adenosine deaminase, IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-10) which help in disease conversion to symptomatic VL, at 6 month follow- up. Follow–up analysis revealed that antibody testing with rK39 (3.24%), DAT (8.33%) had poor agreement with disease conversion. By qPCR, we could identify the level of parasitemia, and collectively with serology, the test detected 23.80% of asymptomatic cases converted into disease. The level of ADA and IL-10 remained consistently high during conversion. IFN-γ became high in asymptomatic infection but became low on conversion, whereas, no significant change in level of TNF-α was observed at both stages of disease. Thus by use of qPCR, concomitantly with DAT over rK39+ sorted endemic healthy control may be employed for early case detection. Adenosine is produced by ecto-nucleotide during L.donovaniinfection, has been previously reported and in parallel to this study we conclude that determination of adenosine deaminase level (ADA) might help identify early cases with more tendency to convert into disease. This will help to boost health monitoring programme to eradicate Kala-azar in Bihar, India.
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Evaluation of the protective efficacy of a Leishmania protein associated with distinct adjuvants against visceral leishmaniasis and in vitro immunogenicity in human cells. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:2609-2622. [PMID: 32535734 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06752-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The treatment against visceral leishmaniasis (VL) presents problems, mainly related to the toxicity and/or high cost of the drugs. In this context, a prophylactic vaccination is urgently required. In the present study, a Leishmania protein called LiHyE, which was suggested recently as an antigenic marker for canine and human VL, was evaluated regarding its immunogenicity and protective efficacy in BALB/c mice against Leishmania infantum infection. In addition, the protein was used to stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from VL patients before and after treatment, as well as from healthy subjects. Vaccination results showed that the recombinant (rLiHyE) protein associated with liposome or saponin induced effective protection in the mice, since significant reductions in the parasite load in spleen, liver, draining lymph nodes, and bone marrow were found. The parasitological protection was associated with Th1-type cell response, since high IFN-γ, IL-12, and GM-CSF levels, in addition to low IL-4 and IL-10 production, were found. Liposome induced a better parasitological and immunological protection than did saponin. Experiments using PBMCs showed rLiHyE-stimulated lymphoproliferation in treated patients' and healthy subjects' cells, as well as high IFN-γ levels in the cell supernatant. In conclusion, rLiHyE could be considered for future studies as a vaccine candidate against VL.
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Hamrouni S, Bras-Gonçalves R, Kidar A, Aoun K, Chamakh-Ayari R, Petitdidier E, Messaoudi Y, Pagniez J, Lemesre JL, Meddeb-Garnaoui A. Design of multi-epitope peptides containing HLA class-I and class-II-restricted epitopes derived from immunogenic Leishmania proteins, and evaluation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses induced in cured cutaneous leishmaniasis subjects. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008093. [PMID: 32176691 PMCID: PMC7098648 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human leishmaniasis is a public health problem worldwide for which the development of a vaccine remains a challenge. T cell-mediated immune responses are crucial for protection. Peptide vaccines based on the identification of immunodominant T cell epitopes able to induce T cell specific immune responses constitute a promising strategy. Here, we report the identification of human leukocyte antigen class-I (HLA-I) and -II (HLA-II)-restricted multi-epitope peptides from Leishmania proteins that we have previously described as vaccine candidates. Promastigote Surface Antigen (PSA), LmlRAB (L. major large RAB GTPase) and Histone (H2B) were screened, in silico, for T cell epitopes. 6 HLA-I and 5 HLA-II-restricted multi-epitope peptides, able to bind to the most frequent HLA molecules, were designed and used as pools to stimulate PBMCs from individuals with healed cutaneous leishmaniasis. IFN-γ, IL-10, TNF-α and granzyme B (GrB) production was evaluated by ELISA/CBA. The frequency of IFN-γ-producing T cells was quantified by ELISpot. T cells secreting cytokines and memory T cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. 16 of 25 peptide pools containing HLA-I, HLA-II or HLA-I and -II peptides were able to induce specific and significant IFN-γ levels. No IL-10 was detected. 6 peptide pools were selected among those inducing the highest IFN-γ levels for further characterization. 3/6 pools were able to induce a significant increase of the percentages of CD4+IFN-γ+, CD8+IFN-γ+ and CD4+GrB+ T cells. The same pools also induced a significant increase of the percentages of bifunctional IFN-γ+/TNF-α+CD4+ and/or central memory T cells. We identified highly promiscuous HLA-I and -II restricted epitope combinations from H2B, PSA and LmlRAB proteins that stimulate both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses in recovered individuals. These multi-epitope peptides could be used as potential components of a polytope vaccine for human leishmaniasis. The control of leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease of public health importance, caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania, mainly relies on chemotherapy, which is highly toxic. Currently, there is no vaccine against human leishmaniasis. Peptide-based vaccines consisting of T cell epitopes identified within proteins of interest by epitope predictive algorithms are a promising strategy for vaccine development. Here, we identified multi-epitope peptides composed of HLA-I and -II-restricted epitopes, using immunoinformatic tools, within Leishmania proteins previously described as potential vaccine candidates. We showed that multi-epitope peptides used as pools were able to activate IFN-γ producing CD4+ as well as CD8+ T cells, both required for parasite elimination. In addition, granzyme B-producing CD4+ T cells, bifunctional CD4+ IFN-γ+/TNF-α+ and/or TNF-α+/IL-2+ T cells as well as CD4+ and CD8+ central memory T cells, all involved in Leishmania infection control, were significantly increased in response to multi-epitope peptide stimulation. As far as we know, no study has described the detection of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell populations in response to stimulation by both HLA-I and II-restricted peptides in humans. The immunogenic HLA-I and -II-restricted multi-epitope peptides identified in this study could constitute potential vaccine candidates against human leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarra Hamrouni
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie Médicale, Biotechnologie et Biomolécules, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisie
- Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Tunis, Tunisie
- UMR INTERTRYP, Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | - Karim Aoun
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie Médicale, Biotechnologie et Biomolécules, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisie
| | - Rym Chamakh-Ayari
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie Médicale, Biotechnologie et Biomolécules, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisie
- Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Tunis, Tunisie
| | - Elodie Petitdidier
- UMR INTERTRYP, Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
| | - Yasmine Messaoudi
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie Médicale, Biotechnologie et Biomolécules, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisie
- Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, Tunis, Tunisie
- UMR INTERTRYP, Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
| | - Julie Pagniez
- UMR INTERTRYP, Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Loup Lemesre
- UMR INTERTRYP, Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
| | - Amel Meddeb-Garnaoui
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie Médicale, Biotechnologie et Biomolécules, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisie
- * E-mail:
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Ribeiro PAF, Vale DL, Dias DS, Lage DP, Mendonça DVC, Ramos FF, Carvalho LM, Carvalho AMRS, Steiner BT, Roque MC, Oliveira-da-Silva JA, Oliveira JS, Tavares GSV, Galvani NC, Martins VT, Chávez-Fumagalli MA, Roatt BM, Moreira RLF, Menezes-Souza D, Oliveira MC, Machado-de-Ávila RA, Teixeira AL, Coelho EAF. Leishmania infantum amastin protein incorporated in distinct adjuvant systems induces protection against visceral leishmaniasis. Cytokine 2020; 129:155031. [PMID: 32062145 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The control measures against visceral leishmaniasis (VL) include a precise diagnosis of disease, the treatment of human cases, and reservoir and vector controls. However, these are insufficient to avoid the spread of the disease in specific countries worldwide. As a consequence, prophylactic vaccination could be interesting, although no effective candidate against human disease is available. In the present study, the Leishmania infantum amastin protein was evaluated regarding its immunogenicity and protective efficacy against experimental VL. BALB/c mice immunized with subcutaneous injections of the recombinant protein with or without liposome/saponin (Lip/Sap) as an adjuvant. After immunization, half of the animals per group were euthanized and immunological evaluations were performed, while the others were challenged with L. infantum promastigotes. Forty-five days after infection, the animals were euthanized and parasitological and immunological evaluations were performed. Results showed the development of a Th1-type immune response in rAmastin-Lip and rAmastin-Sap/vaccinated mice, before and after infection, which was based on the production of protein and parasite-specific IFN-γ, IL-12, GM-CSF, and nitrite, as well as the IgG2a isotype antibody. CD4+ T cells were mainly responsible for IFN-γ production in vaccinated mice, which also presented significant reductions in parasitism in their liver, spleen, draining lymph nodes, and bone marrow. In addition, PBMC cultures of treated VL patients and healthy subjects stimulated with rAmastin showed lymphoproliferation and higher IFN-γ production. In conclusion, the present study shows the first case of an L. infantum amastin protein associated with distinct delivery systems inducing protection against L. infantum infection and demonstrates an immunogenic effect of this protein in human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia A F Ribeiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Danniele L Vale
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniel S Dias
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniela P Lage
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Débora V C Mendonça
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda F Ramos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lívia M Carvalho
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas/NUPEB, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Insituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria R S Carvalho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Bethina T Steiner
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma 88806-000, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Marjorie C Roque
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - João A Oliveira-da-Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jamil S Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Grasiele S V Tavares
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Nathália C Galvani
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vívian T Martins
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Miguel A Chávez-Fumagalli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Bruno M Roatt
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas/NUPEB, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Insituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ricardo L F Moreira
- Fundação Hospitalar do Estado de Minas Gerais, Hospital Eduardo de Menezes, Belo Horizonte 30622-020, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniel Menezes-Souza
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Patologia Clínica, COLTEC, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mônica C Oliveira
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ricardo A Machado-de-Ávila
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma 88806-000, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Antônio L Teixeira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Eduardo A F Coelho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Patologia Clínica, COLTEC, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Pandey R, Dikhit MR, Kumar A, Dehury B, Pandey K, Topno RK, Das P, Bimal S. Evaluating the immunomodulatory responses of LdODC-derived MHC Class-II restricted peptides against VL. Parasite Immunol 2020; 42:e12699. [PMID: 31976563 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In a bid to develop a novel immunoprophylactic measure against visceral leishmaniasis (VL), MHC class-II-restricted epitopes of LdODC were identified by reverse vaccinology approach. Five consensus HLA-DRB1*0101-restricted epitopes were screened. The analysis revealed that the set of epitopes was presented by at least 54 diverse MHC class-II alleles. Based on in silico screening, followed by molecular dynamics simulation, population coverage analysis, and HLA cross-presentation ability, five best epitopes were evaluated. PBMCs isolated from treated VL subjects, when stimulated with synthetic peptide alone or as a cocktail of peptides, triggered a secretory IFN-γ, but not the IL-10 level. Support in this notion came from intracellular cytokine level with a considerable up-regulated IFN-γ produced by CD4+ T cells. Also, the enhanced IFN-γ seemed to be augmented with the activation of macrophages with prominent IL-12 production. Therefore, it can be concluded that the screened MHC class-II-restricted epitope hotspots derived from Leishmania ODC can trigger CD4+ T cells, which can skew macrophage functions towards protection. However, a detailed analysis can explore its potentiality as a vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- RajKishor Pandey
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Hajipur, India.,Division of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
| | - Manas Ranjan Dikhit
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
| | - Avinash Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Hajipur, India
| | - Budheswar Dehury
- Department of Bioinformatics, ICMR-RMRC, Government of India, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Krishna Pandey
- Departmentof Clinical Medicine, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
| | - Roshan Kamal Topno
- Departmentof Epidemiology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
| | - Pradeep Das
- Department of Molecular Biology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
| | - Sanjiva Bimal
- Division of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
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18
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Synthetic Peptides Elicit Strong Cellular Immunity in Visceral Leishmaniasis Natural Reservoir and Contribute to Long-Lasting Polyfunctional T-Cells in BALB/c Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2019; 7:vaccines7040162. [PMID: 31661776 PMCID: PMC6963447 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines7040162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Reverse vaccinology or immunoinformatics is a computational methodology which integrates data from in silico epitope prediction, associated to other important information as, for example, the predicted subcellular location of the proteins used in the design of the context of vaccine development. This approach has the potential to search for new targets for vaccine development in the predicted proteome of pathogenic organisms. To date, there is no effective vaccine employed in vaccination campaigns against visceral leishmaniasis (VL). For the first time, herein, an in silico, in vitro, and in vivo peptide screening was performed, and immunogenic peptides were selected to constitute VL peptide-based vaccines. Firstly, the screening of in silico potential peptides using dogs naturally infected by L. infantum was conducted and the peptides with the best performance were selected. The mentioned peptides were used to compose Cockt-1 (cocktail 1) and Cockt-2 (cocktail 2) in combination with saponin as the adjuvant. Therefore, tests for immunogenicity, polyfunctional T-cells, and the ability to induce central and effector memory in T-lymphocytes capacity in reducing the parasite load on the spleen for Cockt-1 and Cockt-2 were performed. Among the vaccines under study, Cockt-1 showed the best results, eliciting CD4+ and CD8+ polyfunctional T-cells, with a reduction in spleen parasitism that correlates to the generation of T CD4+ central memory and T CD8+ effector memory cells. In this way, our findings corroborate the use of immunoinformatics as a tool for the development of future vaccines against VL.
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19
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Akya A, Farasat A, Ghadiri K, Rostamian M. Identification of HLA-I restricted epitopes in six vaccine candidates of Leishmania tropica using immunoinformatics and molecular dynamics simulation approaches. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2019; 75:103953. [PMID: 31284043 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2019.103953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In spite of numerous studies on vaccination for various species of Leishmania, research on the development of an effective vaccine for L. tropica is very scarce. In silico epitope prediction is a new way to survey the best vaccine candidates. Here, we predicted the best epitopes of six L. tropica antigens with vaccine capability against this pathogen, using highly frequent HLA-I alleles. Based on the frequent HLA alleles, the protein sequences were screened individually using four different MHC prediction applications, namely SYFPEITHI, ProPredI, BIMAS, and IEDB. Several in silico assays including clustering, human similarity exclusion, epitope conservancy prediction, investigating in experimental records, immunogenicity prediction, and prediction of population coverage were performed to narrow the results and to find the best epitopes. The selected epitopes and their restricted HLA-I alleles were docked and the final epitopes with the lowest binding energy (the highest binding affinity) were chosen. Finally, the stability and the binding properties of the best epitope-HLA-I combinations were analyzed using molecular dynamics simulation studies. We found ten potential peptides with strong binding affinity to highly frequent HLA-I alleles that can be further evaluated as vaccine targets against L. tropica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisha Akya
- Infectious Diseases Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Alireza Farasat
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Keyghobad Ghadiri
- Infectious Diseases Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Mosayeb Rostamian
- Infectious Diseases Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
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20
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Pasala C, Chilamakuri CSR, Katari SK, Nalamolu RM, Bitla AR, Amineni U. Epitope-driven common subunit vaccine design against H. pylori strains. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2018; 37:3740-3750. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2018.1526714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chiranjeevi Pasala
- Bioinformatics Centre, Department of Bioinformatics, SVIMS University, Tirupati, AP, India
| | | | - Sudheer Kumar Katari
- Bioinformatics Centre, Department of Bioinformatics, SVIMS University, Tirupati, AP, India
| | | | - Aparna R. Bitla
- Department of Biochemistry, SVIMS University, Tirupati, AP, India
| | - Umamaheswari Amineni
- Bioinformatics Centre, Department of Bioinformatics, SVIMS University, Tirupati, AP, India
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21
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Dikhit MR, Das S, Mahantesh V, Kumar A, Singh AK, Dehury B, Rout AK, Ali V, Sahoo GC, Topno RK, Pandey K, Das VNR, Bimal S, Das P. The potential HLA Class I-restricted epitopes derived from LeIF and TSA of Leishmania donovani evoke anti-leishmania CD8+ T lymphocyte response. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14175. [PMID: 30242172 PMCID: PMC6154976 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32040-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To explore new protective measure against visceral leishmaniasis, reverse vaccinology approach was employed to identify key immunogenic regions which can mediate long-term immunity. In-depth computational analysis revealed nine promiscuous epitopes which can possibly be presented by 46 human leukocyte antigen, thereby broadening the worldwide population up to 94.16%. This is of reasonable significance that most of the epitopes shared 100% sequence homology with other Leishmania species and could evoke a common pattern of protective immune response. Transporter associated with antigen processing binding affinity, molecular docking approach followed by dynamics simulation and human leukocyte antigen stabilization assay suggested that the best five optimal set of epitopes bind in between α1 and α2 binding groove with sufficient affinity and stability which allows the translocation of intact epitope to the cell surface. Fascinatingly, the human leukocyte antigen stabilization assay exhibited a modest correlation with the positive immunogenicity score predicted by class I pMHC immunogenicity predictor. A support for this notion came from ELISA and FACS analysis where the epitopes as a cocktail induced CD8+ IFN-γ and Granzyme B levels significantly in treated visceral leishmaniasis subject which suggests the immunogenic ability of the selected epitopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manas Ranjan Dikhit
- BioMedical Informatics Division, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, Bihar, India.,Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, Bihar, India
| | - Sushmita Das
- Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, 801507, Bihar, India
| | - Vijaya Mahantesh
- Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, Bihar, India
| | - Akhilesh Kumar
- Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, Bihar, India
| | - Ashish Kumar Singh
- Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, Bihar, India
| | - Budheswar Dehury
- BioMedical Informatics Centre, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
| | - Ajaya Kumar Rout
- Biotechnology Laboratory, ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, Kolkata, 700120, West Bengal, India
| | - Vahab Ali
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, Bihar, India
| | - Ganesh Chandra Sahoo
- BioMedical Informatics Division, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, Bihar, India
| | - Roshan Kamal Topno
- Department of Epidemiology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, Bihar, India
| | - Krishna Pandey
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, Bihar, India
| | - V N R Das
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, Bihar, India
| | - Sanjiva Bimal
- Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, Bihar, India
| | - Pradeep Das
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna, 800007, Bihar, India.
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22
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De Brito RCF, Cardoso JMDO, Reis LES, Vieira JF, Mathias FAS, Roatt BM, Aguiar-Soares RDDO, Ruiz JC, Resende DDM, Reis AB. Peptide Vaccines for Leishmaniasis. Front Immunol 2018; 9:1043. [PMID: 29868006 PMCID: PMC5958606 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to an increase in the incidence of leishmaniases worldwide, the development of new strategies such as prophylactic vaccines to prevent infection and decrease the disease have become a high priority. Classic vaccines against leishmaniases were based on live or attenuated parasites or their subunits. Nevertheless, the use of whole parasite or their subunits for vaccine production has numerous disadvantages. Therefore, the use of Leishmania peptides to design more specific vaccines against leishmaniases seems promising. Moreover, peptides have several benefits in comparison with other kinds of antigens, for instance, good stability, absence of potentially damaging materials, antigen low complexity, and low-cost to scale up. By contrast, peptides are poor immunogenic alone, and they need to be delivered correctly. In this context, several approaches described in this review are useful to solve these drawbacks. Approaches, such as, peptides in combination with potent adjuvants, cellular vaccinations, adenovirus, polyepitopes, or DNA vaccines have been used to develop peptide-based vaccines. Recent advancements in peptide vaccine design, chimeric, or polypeptide vaccines and nanovaccines based on particles attached or formulated with antigenic components or peptides have been increasingly employed to drive a specific immune response. In this review, we briefly summarize the old, current, and future stands on peptide-based vaccines, describing the disadvantages and benefits associated with them. We also propose possible approaches to overcome the related weaknesses of synthetic vaccines and suggest future guidelines for their development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory C F De Brito
- Laboratório de Pesquisas Clínicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas/CiPharma, Escola de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil.,Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - Jamille M De O Cardoso
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - Levi E S Reis
- Laboratório de Pesquisas Clínicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas/CiPharma, Escola de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil.,Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - Joao F Vieira
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - Fernando A S Mathias
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - Bruno M Roatt
- Laboratório de Pesquisas Clínicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas/CiPharma, Escola de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil.,Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Doenças Tropicais, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Dian D O Aguiar-Soares
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - Jeronimo C Ruiz
- Grupo Informática de Biossistemas e Genômica, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Computacional e Sistemas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniela de M Resende
- Grupo Informática de Biossistemas e Genômica, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Computacional e Sistemas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alexandre B Reis
- Laboratório de Pesquisas Clínicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas/CiPharma, Escola de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil.,Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Doenças Tropicais, Salvador, Brazil
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23
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Kumar A, Dikhit MR, Amit A, Zaidi A, Pandey RK, Singh AK, Suman SS, Ali V, Das VNR, Pandey K, kumar V, Singh SK, Narayan S, Chourasia HK, Das P, Bimal S. Immunomodulation induced through ornithine decarboxylase DNA immunization in Balb/c mice infected with Leishmania donovani. Mol Immunol 2018; 97:33-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2018.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Revised: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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24
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Computational elucidation of novel antagonists and binding insights by structural and functional analyses of serine hydroxymethyltransferase and interaction with inhibitors. GENE REPORTS 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2017.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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25
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Ramos FF, Costa LE, Dias DS, Santos TTO, Rodrigues MR, Lage DP, Salles BCS, Martins VT, Ribeiro PAF, Chávez-Fumagalli MA, Dias ACS, Alves PT, Vieira ÉLM, Roatt BM, Menezes-Souza D, Duarte MC, Teixeira AL, Goulart LR, Coelho EAF. Selection strategy of phage-displayed immunogens based on an in vitro evaluation of the Th1 response of PBMCs and their potential use as a vaccine against Leishmania infantum infection. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:617. [PMID: 29268793 PMCID: PMC5740923 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2576-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The development of a vaccine for the prevention of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) still represents a significant unmet medical need. A human vaccine can be found if one takes into consideration that many people living in endemic areas of disease are infected but do not develop active VL, including those subjects with subclinical or asymptomatic infection. Methods In this study, a phage display was used to select phage-exposed peptides that were specific to immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies from asymptomatic and symptomatic VL patients, separating them from non-infected subjects. Phage clones presenting valid peptide sequences were selected and used as stimuli of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from both patients’ groups and controls. Those with higher interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)/interleukin (IL)-10 ratios were further selected for vaccination tests. Results Among 17 evaluated clones, two were selected, B1 and D11, and used to immunize BALB/c mice in an attempt to further validate their in vivo protective efficacy against Leishmania infantum infection. Both clones induced partial protection against the parasite challenge, which was evidenced by the reduction of parasitism in the evaluated organs, a process mediated by a specific T helper (Th)1 immune response. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to use a rational strategy based on in vitro stimulation of human PBMCs with selected phage-displayed clones to obtain new immunogens against VL. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-017-2576-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Fonseca Ramos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil
| | - Lourena Emanuele Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil
| | - Daniel Silva Dias
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil
| | - Thaís Teodoro Oliveira Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil
| | - Marcella Rezende Rodrigues
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil
| | - Daniela Pagliara Lage
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Cristina Silveira Salles
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil
| | - Vívian Tamietti Martins
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Aparecida Fernandes Ribeiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil
| | - Miguel Angel Chávez-Fumagalli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Silva Dias
- Laboratório de Nanobiotecnologia, Instituto de Genética e Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Amazonas s/n, Campus Umuarama, Bloco 2E, Sala 248, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Terra Alves
- Laboratório de Nanobiotecnologia, Instituto de Genética e Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Amazonas s/n, Campus Umuarama, Bloco 2E, Sala 248, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Érica Leandro Marciano Vieira
- Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil
| | - Bruno Mendes Roatt
- Departamento de Patologia Clínica, COLTEC, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Daniel Menezes-Souza
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil.,Departamento de Patologia Clínica, COLTEC, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Mariana Costa Duarte
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil.,Departamento de Patologia Clínica, COLTEC, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Antonio Lúcio Teixeira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil.,Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil.,Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1941 East Road, Houston, TX, 77041, USA
| | - Luiz Ricardo Goulart
- Laboratório de Nanobiotecnologia, Instituto de Genética e Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Amazonas s/n, Campus Umuarama, Bloco 2E, Sala 248, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 38400-902, Brazil.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Eduardo Antonio Ferraz Coelho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Prof. Alfredo Balena, 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130-100, Brazil. .,Departamento de Patologia Clínica, COLTEC, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil.
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26
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Dikhit MR, Kumar A, Das S, Dehury B, Rout AK, Jamal F, Sahoo GC, Topno RK, Pandey K, Das VNR, Bimal S, Das P. Identification of Potential MHC Class-II-Restricted Epitopes Derived from Leishmania donovani Antigens by Reverse Vaccinology and Evaluation of Their CD4+ T-Cell Responsiveness against Visceral Leishmaniasis. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1763. [PMID: 29312304 PMCID: PMC5735068 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is one of the most neglected tropical diseases for which no vaccine exists. In spite of extensive efforts, no successful vaccine is available against this dreadful infectious disease. To support vaccine development, an immunoinformatics approach was applied to screen potential MHC class-II-restricted epitopes that can activate the immune cells. Initially, 37 epitopes derived from six stage-dependent, overexpressed antigens were predicted, which were presented by at least 26 diverse MHC class-II allele. Based on a population coverage analysis and human leukocyte antigen cross-presentation ability, six of the 37 epitopes were selected for further analysis. Stimulation with synthetic peptide alone or as a cocktail triggered intracellular IFN-γ production. Moreover, specific IgG antibodies were detected in the serum of active VL cases against P1, P4, P5, and P6 in order to evaluate the peptide effect on the humoral immune response. Additionally, most of the peptides, except P2, were found to be non-inducers of CD4+ IL-10 against both active VL as well as treated VL subjects. This finding suggests there is no role of these peptides in the pathogenesis of Leishmania. Peptide immunogenicity was validated in BALB/c mice immunized with a cocktail of synthetic peptide emulsified in complete Freund’s adjuvant/incomplete Freund’s adjuvant. The immunized splenocytes induced strong spleen cell proliferation upon parasite re-stimulation. Furthermore, increased IFN-γ, interleukin-12, IL-17, and IL-22 production augmented with elevated nitric oxide (NO) synthesis is thought to play a crucial role in macrophage activation. In this investigation, we identified six MHC class-II-restricted epitope hotspots of Leishmania antigens that induce CD4+ Th1 and Th17 responses, which could be used to potentiate a human universal T-epitope vaccine against VL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manas Ranjan Dikhit
- BioMedical Informatics Division, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India.,Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
| | - Akhilesh Kumar
- Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
| | - Sushmita Das
- Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
| | - Budheswar Dehury
- Biomedical Informatics Centre, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Odisha, India
| | - Ajaya Kumar Rout
- Biotechnology Laboratory, ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Fauzia Jamal
- Department of Microbiology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
| | - Ganesh Chandra Sahoo
- BioMedical Informatics Division, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
| | - Roshan Kamal Topno
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
| | - Krishna Pandey
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
| | - V N R Das
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
| | - Sanjiva Bimal
- Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
| | - Pradeep Das
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India
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27
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Dikhit MR, Amit A, Singh AK, Kumar A, Mansuri R, Sinha S, Topno RK, Mishra R, Das VNR, Pandey K, Sahoo GC, Ali V, Bimal S, Das P. Vaccine potential of HLA-A2 epitopes from Leishmania
Cysteine Protease Type III (CPC). Parasite Immunol 2017; 39. [DOI: 10.1111/pim.12451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. R. Dikhit
- Department of Bioinformatics; Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences; Patna India
| | - A. Amit
- Department of Immunology; Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences; Patna India
| | - A. K. Singh
- Department of Immunology; Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences; Patna India
- Department of Pathology; Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences; Patna India
| | - A. Kumar
- Department of Immunology; Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences; Patna India
| | - R. Mansuri
- Department of Bioinformatics; Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences; Patna India
| | - S. Sinha
- Department of Bioinformatics; Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences; Patna India
| | - R. K. Topno
- Department of Epidemiology; Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences; Patna India
| | - R. Mishra
- Department of Clinical Medicine; Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences; Patna India
| | - V. N. R. Das
- Department of Clinical Medicine; Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences; Patna India
| | - K. Pandey
- Department of Clinical Medicine; Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences; Patna India
| | - G. C. Sahoo
- Department of Bioinformatics; Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences; Patna India
| | - V. Ali
- Department of Biochemistry; Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences; Patna India
| | - S. Bimal
- Department of Immunology; Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences; Patna India
| | - P. Das
- Department of Molecular Parasitology; Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences; Patna India
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28
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Dikhit MR, Kumar A, Amit A, Dehury B, Nathsharma YP, Ansari MY, Ali V, Topno RK, Das V, Pandey K, Sahoo GC, Bimal S, Das P. Mining the Proteome of Leishmania donovani for the Development of Novel MHC Class I Restricted Epitope for the Control of Visceral Leishmaniasis. J Cell Biochem 2017; 119:378-391. [PMID: 28585770 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.26190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Although, the precise host defence mechanism(s) is not completely understood, T cell-mediated immune responses is believed to play a pivotal role in controlling parasite infection. Here we target the stage dependent over expressed gene. Here, the consensus based computational approach was adopted for the screening of potential major histocompatibility complex class I restricted epitopes. Based on the computational analysis and previously published report, a set 19 antigenic proteins derived from Leishmania donovani were screened for further characterization as vaccine candidates. A total of 49 epitopes were predicted, which revealed a comprehensive binding affinity to the 40 different MHC class I supertypes. Based on the population coverage and HLA cross presentation, nine highly promiscuous epitopes such as LTYDDVWTV (P1), FLFPQRTAL(P2), FLFSNGAVV (P3), YIYNFGIRV (P4), YMTAAFAAL (P5), KLLRPFAPL (P6), FMLGWIVTI (P7), SLFERNKRV (P8), and SVWNRIFTL (P9) which have either a high or an intermediate TAP binding affinity were selected for further analysis. Theoretical population coverage analysis of polytope vaccine (P1-P9) revealed more than 92% population. Stimulation with the cocktail of peptide revealed a proliferative CD8+ T cell response and increased IFN-γ production. An upregulated NF-κB activity is thought to be play a pivotal role in T cell proliferation against the selected peptide. The Th1-type cytokine profile (presence of IFN-γ and absence of IL-10) suggests the potentiality of the cocktail of epitope as a subunit vaccine against leishmaniasis. However, the efficiency of these epitopes to trigger other Th1 cytokines and chemokines in a humanized mice model could explore its plausibility as a vaccine candidate. J. Cell. Biochem. 119: 378-391, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manas R Dikhit
- Department of Bioinformatics, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
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- Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Akhilesh Kumar
- Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Ajay Amit
- Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Budheswar Dehury
- Department of Bioinformatics, ICMR Regional Medical research Centre, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751016, India
| | - Yangya Prasad Nathsharma
- Department of Bioinformatics, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Mohammad Yousuf Ansari
- Department of Bioinformatics, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Vahab Ali
- Departmentof Biochemistry, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical, Patna 800007, India
| | - Roshan Kamal Topno
- Department of Epidemiology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Vnr Das
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Krishna Pandey
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Ganesh Chandra Sahoo
- Department of Bioinformatics, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Sanjiva Bimal
- Department of Immunology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Pradeep Das
- Department of Bioinformatics, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India.,Department of Molecular Biology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
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