Rational mRNA vaccine design against igbo-ora virus through immunoinformatic profiling of non-structural polyproteins

The Igbo-Ora virus, a member of the Alphavirus genus within the Togaviridae family, is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) primarily transmitted by mosquitoes and known to cause febrile illness in humans. This study aims to design two mRNA vaccine constructs targeting the virus's non-structural polyproteins using an integrative strategy that combines immunoinformatics approaches. Viral sequences were retrieved from NCBI and analyzed for antigenicity, allergenicity, toxicity, B-cell epitopes, CD8+T lymphocytes (CTL), and CD4+T lymphocytes (HTL). These epitopes, along with additional co-translational residues, were used to develop the mRNA vaccine constructs. Physicochemical analysis revealed that both constructs exhibited good stability, thermostability, and solubility. Molecular docking studies demonstrated strong binding affinities between the vaccine constructs and Toll-like receptors (TLR-3 and TLR-7). Immunological simulations indicated significant activation of CD4+ and CD8+T cells, natural killer cells, and antigen-presenting cells. Further in vitro and in vivo validation studies are essential to confirm these findings and advance the development of a safe and effective vaccine against the Igbo-Ora virus, contributing to global public health preparedness and pandemic prevention.