Development of a New Epitope Immunogenic Structure Based on the Coronavirus Membrane Glycoprotein M Using Immunoinformatics Tools

Aims:  Although conventional therapies have played an essential role in the treatment of many diseases, emerging diseases require new treatment methods with less complications. Therefore, it is important to develop an effective vaccine for infections caused by the coronavirus to prevent mortality and create immunity in the community. Materials & Methods: In this research, bioinformatics tools were used to design a vaccine against the M membrane protein of SARS-CoV-۲. A total of ۲۷ epitopes confined to B cells and MHC I and II alleles were structurally constructed in M protein for immune stimulation and antibody recognition, which were used in the construction of a chimeric peptide vaccine. Results: The vaccine was predicted to be a stable, antigenic, and non-allergenic compound. TRL۵-vaccine complex analysis and docking simulation indicated a sufficiently stable binding with appropriate receptor activation. The immune response simulation following hypothetical immunization indicated the potential of this vaccine to stimulate the production of active and memory B cells, CD۸+ T and CD۴+ T cells, and effective immunological responses induced by Th۲ and Th۱. Conclusion:  The analysis of in-silico processes showed that the vaccine structure induced high antigenicity and good cellular immunity in the host body and stimulated various immune receptors such as TLR۵, MHC I, and MHC II. Vaccine function was also associated with an increase in IgM and IgG antibodies and a set of Th۱ and Th۲ cytokines. But the final confirmation of the effectiveness of the designed vaccine requires clinical processes.

Keywords:

Vaccine , Immunoinformatics , Protein M , Coronavirus