Weiping Zhang
Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine,
Manhattan, KS 66506
Tanzania
Research Article
MEFA (multiepitope fusion antigen) - Novel Technology for Structural Vaccinology, Proof from Computational and Empirical Immunogenicity Characterization of an Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) Adhesin MEFA
Author(s): Qiangde Duan, Kuo Hao Lee, Rahul M Nandre, Carolina Garcia, Jianhan Chen and Weiping ZhangQiangde Duan, Kuo Hao Lee, Rahul M Nandre, Carolina Garcia, Jianhan Chen and Weiping Zhang
Vaccine development often encounters the challenge of virulence heterogeneity. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) bacteria producing immunologically heterogeneous virulence factors are a leading cause of children’s diarrhea and travelers’ diarrhea. Currently, we do not have licensed vaccines against ETEC bacteria. While conventional methods continue to make progress but encounter challenge, new computational and structure-based approaches are explored to accelerate ETEC vaccine development. In this study, we applied a structural vaccinology concept to construct a structure-based multiepitope fusion antigen (MEFA) to carry representing epitopes of the seven most important ETEC adhesins [CFA/I, CFA/II (CS1-CS3), CFA/IV (CS4-CS6)], simulated antigenic structure of the CFA/I/II/IV MEFA with computational atomistic modeling and simulation, characterized immunogeni.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2157-7560.1000367