Title:In Silico Design of a Novel Multi-Epitope Peptide Vaccine Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Volume: 17
Issue: 9
Author(s): Fatemeh Motamedi Dehbarez, Navid Nezafat and Shirin Mahmoodi*
Affiliation:
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa,Iran
Keywords:
Hepatocellular carcinoma, immunoinformatics, multi-epitope vaccine, adjuvant, immunotherapy, linker.
Abstract: Background: Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent cancer in the world. As
yet, there is no medication for complete treatment of HCC.
Objective: There is a critical need to search for an innovative therapy for HCC. Recently, multiepitope
vaccines have been introduced as effective immunotherapy approach against HCC.
Methods: In this research, several immunoinformatics methods were applied to create an original
multi-epitope vaccine against HCC consisting of CD8+ cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTLs) epitopes
selected from α- fetoprotein (AFP), glypican-3 (GPC3), aspartyl-β-hydroxylase (ASPH); CD4+
helper T lymphocytes (HTLs) epitopes from tetanus toxin fragment C (TTFC), and finally, two tandem
repeats of HSP70407-426 were used which stimulated strong innate and adaptive immune responses.
All the mentioned parts were connected together by relevant linkers.
Results and Discussions: According to physicochemical, structural, and immunological results, the designed
vaccine is stable, non-allergen, antigen; it also has a high-quality 3D structure, and numerous linear
and conformational B cell epitopes, whereby this vaccine may stimulate efficient humoral immunity.
Conclusion: Center on the collected results, the designed vaccine potentially can induce cellular and
humoral immune responses in HCC cases; nonetheless, the efficiency of vaccine must be approved
within in vitro and in vivo immunological analyzes.