DNA Vaccine Encoding the Artificial T-Cell Polyepitope Immunogen of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus

• Published in: Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine Vol. 176; no. 1; pp. 72 - 76
• Main Authors: Kisakov, D. N., Antonets, D. V., Shaburova, E. V., Kisakova, L. A., Tigeeva, E. V., Yakovlev, V. A., Starostina, E. V., Borgoyakova, M. B., Protopopova, E. V., Svyatchenko, V. A., Loktev, V. B., Rudometov, A. P., Ilyichev, A. A., Nepomnyashchikh, T. S., Karpenko, L. I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.11.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Amino acids; Animals; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Biotechnology; Cell Biology; Cytotoxicity; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Design; DNA; DNA vaccines; DNA viruses; Encephalitis; Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne - genetics; Epitopes; Immunization; Infections; Internal Medicine; Laboratory Medicine; Lymphocytes T; Mice; Pathology; Peptides; Plasmids; Proteins; R&D; Research & development; Research centers; T-Lymphocytes; Tick-borne encephalitis; Vaccines; Vaccines, DNA - genetics; Viral infections; Viral Vaccines - genetics; Virology; Viruses; tick-borne encephalitis; artificial T-cell immunogen; DNA vaccines
• ISSN: 0007-4888; 1573-8221
• DOI: 10.1007/s10517-023-05970-4

A promising approach to the development of new means for preventing infection caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus can be DNA vaccines encoding polyepitope T-cell immunogens. A DNA vaccine pVAX-AG4-ub encoding an artificial polyepitope immunogen that includes cytotoxic and T-helper epitopes from the NS1, NS3, NS5, and E proteins of the tick-borne encephalitis virus has been obtained. The developed construct ensured the synthesis of the corresponding mRNAs in transfected eukaryotic cells. Immunization of mice with pVAX-AG4-ub induced the formation of a virus-specific T-cell response providing 50% protection from lethal infection with the virus.