Development and evaluation of a multi-epitope subunit vaccine against group B Streptococcus infection. Issue 1 (31st December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Yumin; Liang, Song; Zhang, Shiyu; Zhang, Shidan; Yu, Yong; Yao, Huochun; Liu, Yongjie; Zhang, Wei; Liu, Guangjin
• Is Part Of: Emerging microbes & infections. Volume 11:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 2371
• Page End: 2382
• Publication Date: 2022-12-31
• Subjects: Group B Streptococcus -- immunoinformatic -- multi-epitope vaccine -- immune protection -- B cell epitope -- T cell epitope; Medical microbiology -- Periodicals; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; 616.9041
• DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2122585
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2222-1751

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) is a multi-host pathogen, even causing life-threatening infections in newborns. Vaccination with GBS crossed serotypes vaccine is one of the best options for long-term infection control. Here we built a comprehensive in silico epitope-prediction workflow pipeline to design a multivalent m ultiepitope-based subunit v accine containing 11 epitopes against S treptococcus a galactiae (MVSA). All epitopes in MVSA came from the proteins which were antigenic-confirmed, virulent-associated, surface-exposed and conserved in ten GBS serotypes. The in-silico analysis showed MVSA had potential to evoke strong immune responses and enable worldwide population coverage. To validate MVSA protection efficacy against GBS infection, immune protection experiments were performed in a mouse model. Importantly, MVSA induced a high titre of antibodies, significant proliferation of mice splenocytes and elicited strong protection against lethal-dose challenge with a survival rate of 100% in mice after three vaccinations. Meanwhile, the polyclonal antibody against MVSA did not only inhibit for growth of GBS from six crucial serotypes in vitro, but also protect 100% naive mice from GBS lethal challenge. These active and passive immunity assay results suggested that MVSA could therefore be an efficacious multi-epitope vaccine against GBS infection.