Design of a novel EmTSP-3 and EmTIP based multi-epitope vaccine against Echinococcus multilocularis infection

Current treatments and prevention strategies for echinococcosis are inadequate. Recent advancements in molecular vaccine development show promise against ; however, remains a challenge. A Multi-epitope Vaccine could potentially induce specific B and T lymphocyte responses, thereby offering protection against infection. This study aimed to develop a MEV against alveolar echinococcosis. Key epitopes from the proteins EmTSP3 and EmTIP were identified using immunoinformatics analyses. These analyses were conducted to assess the MEV feasibility, structural characteristics, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and immune simulations. The immunogenicity and antigenicity of the vaccine were evaluated through and experiments, employing ELISA, Western blotting, FCM, challenge infection experiments, and ELISPOT. The effective antigenicity and immunogenicity of MEV were demonstrated through immunoinformatics, as well as and experiments. experiments revealed that MEV increased the secretion of IFN-γ and IL-4 in PBMC and successfully bound to specific antibodies in patient serum. Furthermore, mice immunized with MEV developed a robust immune response, characterized by elevated levels of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells, increased secretion of IFN-γ and IL-4 by specific Th1 and Th2 cells, and heightened serum antibody levels. Importantly, MEV reduced the weight of cysts by conferring resistance against echinococcosis. These findings suggest that MEV is a promising candidate for the prevention of infection. A total of 7 CTL, 7 HTL, 5 linear B-cell, and 2 conformational B-cell epitopes were identified. The vaccine has demonstrated effective antigenicity and immunogenicity against AE through molecular docking, immune simulation, molecular dynamics studies, and both and experiments. It provides effective protection against infection, thereby laying a foundation for further development.