Ikram Essebbar, Yavas Cuneyd, Akcali Nermin, Batur Lutfiye Karcioglu, Eslamkhah Sajjad, Koseoglu Ahmet Efe, Aslan Elif Sibel
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Biruni University, 75 Sk No:1-13 M. G, Merkezefendi, Zeytinburnu, İstanbul, 34015, Turkey.
Biruni University Research Center (B@MER), Biruni University, Istanbul, 34015, Turkey.
Acta Parasitol. 2025 Aug 8;70(4):174. doi: 10.1007/s11686-025-01111-1.
Trichomonas vaginalis is the etiological agent of trichomoniasis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection (STI) worldwide. The increasing resistance to metronidazole, currently the only FDA-approved treatment, necessitates the development of a novel vaccine to prevent and control this infection.
In this study, an in silico immunoinformatics pipeline was employed to identify antigenic peptides and construct a multi-epitope vaccine candidate targeting T. vaginalis. Surface and secretory proteins were retrieved and analyzed for antigenicity, allergenicity, and toxicity. B-cell and T-cell epitopes were predicted using IEDB tools and evaluated based on their binding affinity to common MHC class I and II alleles. Suitable linkers (GPGPG, AAY, EAAAK) and an HBHA adjuvant were incorporated to enhance immunogenicity.
The final vaccine construct consisted of 1081 amino acids and demonstrated high antigenicity, non-allergenicity, and non-toxicity. Structural predictions revealed favorable solubility and stability characteristics. Immune simulations indicated strong humoral and cellular immune responses. Population coverage analysis showed broad global applicability, particularly in European populations.
This in silico designed multi-epitope vaccine shows strong potential as a preventive strategy against T. vaginalis. Further experimental validation through in vitro and in vivo studies is necessary to confirm its immunogenicity and protective efficacy.
阴道毛滴虫是滴虫病的病原体，滴虫病是全球最常见的非病毒性性传播感染（STI）。对目前唯一获得美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）批准的治疗药物甲硝唑的耐药性不断增加，因此有必要开发一种新型疫苗来预防和控制这种感染。
在本研究中，采用计算机免疫信息学流程来鉴定抗原肽，并构建一种针对阴道毛滴虫的多表位疫苗候选物。检索表面蛋白和分泌蛋白，并分析其抗原性、致敏性和毒性。使用免疫表位数据库（IEDB）工具预测B细胞和T细胞表位，并根据它们与常见的MHC I类和II类等位基因的结合亲和力进行评估。加入合适的连接子（GPGPG、AAY、EAAAK）和一种血红蛋白A（HBHA）佐剂以增强免疫原性。
最终的疫苗构建体由1081个氨基酸组成，具有高抗原性、无致敏性和无毒性。结构预测显示其具有良好的溶解性和稳定性特征。免疫模拟表明其具有强烈的体液免疫和细胞免疫反应。人群覆盖率分析表明其具有广泛的全球适用性，尤其是在欧洲人群中。
这种通过计算机设计的多表位疫苗作为预防阴道毛滴虫感染的策略具有强大的潜力。需要通过体外和体内研究进行进一步的实验验证，以确认其免疫原性和保护效果。
