D N Rao
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India
Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Vaccines & Vaccin
Chikungunya is a viral disease caused by positive sense single stranded RNA virus. This virus transmitted to human by Aedes mosquitoes. High fever, myalgia, joint swelling, body rashes are characteristic features of Chikungunya. Earlier studies demonstrated that dominant epitopes of envelope E2 protein can be used for diagnostic/vaccine design. In the present study we constructed Multiple Antigenic Peptide (MAP) based on the in house established immunodominant B and T cell epitopes of E2 protein. 3 MAPs (MAP-1, MAP-2 and MAP-3) were constructed on lysine back bone and characterized by SDSPAGE, immunoblot and immunoreactivity with E2 antisera. Humoral and cell mediated responses were studied in outbred and inbred mice. Mice were immunized intramuscularly with different formulations with/without adjuvants (CpG, ODN and Murabitide) in microspheres. MAP in microspheres with CpG ODN showed highest IgG peak titer (300,000) with IgG subclass mostly IgG2a/2b distribution compared to other formulations. Individual epitopes of MAPs showed immunoreactivity with MAPs antisera and a few epitopes showed dominance. In T-cell mediated response, all the MAPs showed high stimulated index. Cytokine profile showed significant higher levels of mostly TH-1 & TH17 viz IL-1�², IL2, IL-12, IL-17, TNF-�±. All the MAP antibodies are involved in virus neutralization. This is an alternative approach for vaccine design for Chikungunya.
Email: dnrao311@rediffmail.com