title: Cellular immunogenicity of a multi-epitope peptide vaccine candidate based on hepatitis C virus NS5A, NS4B and core proteins in HHD-2 mice.
abstract: To develop a vaccine against hepatitis C virus (HCV), a multi-epitope peptide was synthesized from nonstructural proteins containing HLA-A2 epitopes inducing mainly responses in natural infection. The engineered vaccine candidate, VAL-44, consists of multiple epitopes from the HCV NS5A, NS4B and core proteins. Immunization with the VAL-44 peptide induced higher CTL responses than those by the smaller VL-20 peptide. VAL-44 induced antigen-specific IFN-γ-producing CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells. VAL-44 elicited a Th1-biased immune response with secretion of high amounts of IFN-γ and IL-2, compared with VL-20. These results suggest that VAL-44 can elicit strong cellular immune responses. The VAL-44 peptide stimulated IFN-γ production from viral-specific peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients infected with HCV. These results suggest that VAL-44 could be developed as a potential HCV multi-epitope peptide vaccine.
authors: Center of Teaching Experiment, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
authors: Xiao-Jun
authors: XJ
authors: Huang
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Lü
authors: Ying-Feng
authors: YF
authors: Lei
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Yang
authors: Min
authors: M
authors: Yao
authors: Hai-Yun
authors: HY
authors: Lan
authors: Jian-Min
authors: JM
authors: Zhang
authors: Zhan-Sheng
authors: ZS
authors: Jia
authors: Wen
authors: W
authors: Yin
authors: Zhi-Kai
authors: ZK
authors: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D007376:Interleukin-2; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C080107:NS4B protein, flavivirus; C087036:NS-5 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase