Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40136144›Full record

ArticleMemorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz2025

In silico construction of a multi-epitope vaccine (RGME-VAC/ATS-1) against the Rickettsia genus using immunoinformatics.

Andrei Giacchetto Felice, Thaís Cristina Vilela Rodrigues, Pedro Henrique Marques, Felipe Lucas Zen, Marcela Rezende Lemes, Rafael Obata Trevisan, Bruno Silva Andrade, Carlo José Freire de Oliveira, Vasco Ariston de Carvalho Azevedo, Sandeep Tiwari and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Andrei Giacchetto FeliceUniversidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e Naturais, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical e Infectologia, Uberaba, MG, Brasil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8813-8850
Thaís Cristina Vilela RodriguesUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Pedro Henrique MarquesUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioinformática, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Felipe Lucas ZenUniversidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e Naturais, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical e Infectologia, Uberaba, MG, Brasil.
Marcela Rezende LemesUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioinformática, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Rafael Obata TrevisanUniversidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e Naturais, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical e Infectologia, Uberaba, MG, Brasil.
Bruno Silva AndradeUniversidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Vitória da Conquista, BA, Brasil.
Carlo José Freire de OliveiraUniversidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e Naturais, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Uberaba, MG, Brasil.
Vasco Ariston de Carvalho AzevedoUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Sandeep TiwariUniversidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto de Biologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Microbiologia, Salvador, BA, Brasil.
Siomar de Castro SoaresUniversidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e Naturais, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Uberaba, MG, Brasil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7299-3724

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRickettsia is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria that causes various diseases, including epidemic typhus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Mediterranean spotted fever. Ticks transmit these diseases and commonly found in developing regions with poor sanitation. As a result, it is difficult to estimate the number of these diseases cases, making it challenging to create prevention and diagnostic mechanisms.

objectivesThus, this study aimed to develop an in silico multi-epitope vaccine against Rickettsia.

methodsEight proteins were previously identified as potential vaccine candidates through reverse vaccinology and were screened for epitopes that bind to MHC class I and II molecules. The epitopes were then analysed for antigenicity, allergenicity, and toxicity. The selected epitopes were linked with AAY and GPGPG sequences peptide and a known adjuvant, the B-chain of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin, to form a chimeric multi-epitope protein. The protein's three-dimensional structure was predicted, and molecular docking analysis was performed against the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Finally, the immune response to the protein was simulated using C-ImmSim tool.

findingsA total of 26 immunogenic epitopes, formed the multi-epitope vaccine RGME-VAC/ATS-1. The vaccine showed excellent immunogenic parameters and was predicted to do not be toxic or allergenic to the host. It also showed good potential stimulation of immune cells, with a propensity to generate memory cells and elicit IFN-γ secretion. MAIN

conclusionsThe in silico validations suggest that our study successfully designed an innovative multi-epitope vaccine against Rickettsia, addressing the challenges posed by the elusive nature of diseases caused by this genus. We provide a promising potential for further experimental exploration and the development of targeted prevention and diagnostic strategies for these diseases.

Indexed as

EpitopesRickettsiaRickettsia InfectionsRickettsial VaccinesAnimalsComputational BiologyComputer SimulationImmunoinformaticsMolecular Docking SimulationToll-Like Receptor 4EpitopesRickettsial VaccinesToll-Like Receptor 4

Identifiers

PMID40136144
PMCPMC11932644

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.