Computational vaccinology: an important strategy to discover new potential S. mansoni vaccine candidates.
The flatworm Schistosoma mansoni is a blood fluke parasite that causes schistosomiasis, a debilitating disease that occurs throughout the developing world. Current schistosomiasis control strategies are mainly based on chemotherapy, but many researchers believe that the best long-term strategy to control schistosomiasis is through immunization with an antischistosomiasis vaccine combined with drug treatment. Several papers on Schistosoma mansoni vaccine and drug development have been published in the past few years, representing an important field of study. The advent of technologies that allow large-scale studies of genes and proteins had a remarkable impact on the screening of new and potential vaccine candidates in schistosomiasis. In this postgenomic scenario, bioinformatic technologies have emerged as important tools to mine transcriptomic, genomic, and proteomic databases. These new perspectives are leading to a new round of rational vaccine development. Herein, we discuss different strategies to identify potential S. mansoni vaccine candidates using computational vaccinology.
Departamento de Bioquímica, Imunologia do Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Carina S
CS
Pinheiro
Vicente P
VP
Martins
Natan R G
NR
Assis
Bárbara C P
BC
Figueiredo
Suellen B
SB
Morais
Vasco
V
Azevedo
Sergio C
SC
Oliveira
D000818:Animals; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000276:immunology*; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods*; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods*; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000276:immunology*; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein / Q000379:methods; D014611:Vaccination; D014612:Vaccines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D000977:Antiparasitic Agents; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D014612:Vaccines