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Updated: Jun 7, 2025
Mouse Models Of Helicobacter Infection And Gastric Pathologies
Published on: October 18, 2018
A new multi-epitope DNA vaccine against Helicobacter Pylori infection in a BALB/c mouse model
Zahra Azami1, Mahnaz Farahmand1, Mahsa Kavousi1
1Department of Biology, East-Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Background:
Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori) is a pathogen that may invade the human stomach. This bacterial strain is now causing widespread concern and considerable health issues worldwide. In contrast to antibiotic treatment, which may lead to drug resistance, vaccination therapy is emerging as a possible immunotherapy option for H. Pylori. DNA vaccines are a potential option to traditional vaccines among vaccine research methods. Furthermore, the multiepitope DNA vaccination may induce a broader immune response to suppress H. Pylori infection.
Methods:
Four target antigenic proteins (outer membrane beta-barrel, outer membrane beta, HofA, and hcp beta-lactamase-like protein) were used to identify epitopes. The best B and T cell epitopes were selected to induce humoral and cellular immune responses and were connected using the HEYGAEALERAG and GGGS linkers. The peptide's physicochemical characteristics, secondary and tertiary structures, antigenicity, and allergenicity were evaluated utilizing several bioinformatics tools. The multiepitope peptide was successfully inserted into the pcDNA3.1 expression vector. The immunological responses of both the vaccinated and control groups were evaluated by measuring cytokines and antibodies.
Results:
Based on the data, the multiepitope peptide consists of 278 amino acid residues and has an average molecular weight (MW) of 28643.61 Da. The peptide residues were mainly situated within the preferred and permitted areas of the Ramachandran plot, accounting for 92.86 % of the total. The VaxiJen server has calculated that the multiepitope peptide has an antigenicity score of 1.0067. BALB/c mice vaccinated with the DNA vaccine produced significantly higher levels of specific IgG antibodies (p < 0.05). The vaccinated mice exhibited a TH1-type cellular immune response characterized by the generation of IFN-γ and a longer length of life compared to the control animals (p < 0.05). In addition, the vaccination group exhibited a substantial increase in the expression level of IFN-γ and IL-1β genes compared to the control group (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
The results demonstrated that the multiepitope DNA vaccine elicited significant humoral and cellular responses, and increased survival time in BALB/c mice, indicating that selecting potential epitopes may be a viable technique for developing multiepitope-based vaccines. This can help to introduce effective vaccines.
Insights
This study developed a multiepitope DNA vaccine against Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori) infection. The vaccine successfully induced strong immune responses and improved survival in mice, offering a promising alternative to antibiotics.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Vaccinology
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori) infection poses a global health challenge.
- Antibiotic resistance necessitates alternative treatments like immunotherapy.
- DNA vaccines, particularly multiepitope designs, offer a promising approach for H. Pylori vaccination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and evaluate a novel multiepitope DNA vaccine against H. Pylori.
- To assess the immunogenicity and efficacy of the DNA vaccine in a murine model.
Main Methods:
- Identification and selection of key B and T cell epitopes from H. Pylori antigenic proteins.
- Construction of a multiepitope peptide using specific linkers.
- In silico analysis of peptide physicochemical properties, structure, antigenicity, and allergenicity.
- Cloning the multiepitope peptide into the pcDNA3.1 expression vector for DNA vaccine formulation.
- Immunological evaluation in BALB/c mice, measuring antibody and cytokine levels, and survival rates.
Main Results:
- The designed multiepitope peptide (278 amino acids) exhibited high antigenicity (1.0067).
- Vaccination with the DNA construct significantly increased specific IgG antibody production (p < 0.05).
- A robust TH1-type cellular immune response was observed, evidenced by elevated IFN-γ levels and increased survival in vaccinated mice (p < 0.05).
- Gene expression analysis revealed significant upregulation of IFN-γ and IL-1β in the vaccination group (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- The developed multiepitope DNA vaccine effectively elicits significant humoral and cellular immune responses against H. Pylori.
- The vaccine candidate demonstrated enhanced survival rates in a murine model.
- Epitope-based vaccine design is a viable strategy for developing effective H. Pylori vaccines.
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