Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42786366›Full record

ArticlePharmaceutical research2026

Computational Design of a Trivalent Multi-Epitope mRNA Vaccine Candidate Against Western, Eastern, and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Viruses.

Rongliu Qin, Yuying Luo, Ziyou Zhou, Yizhong Xu, Xu Wu, Yanqun Hou, Jie Chen, Fei Zhu, Pinhua Pan

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Article in Pharmaceutical research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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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

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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

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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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

9 authors.

Rongliu QinDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, National Key Clinical Specialty, Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
Yuying LuoDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, National Key Clinical Specialty, Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
Ziyou ZhouDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, National Key Clinical Specialty, Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
Yizhong XuDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, National Key Clinical Specialty, Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
Xu WuDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, National Key Clinical Specialty, Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
Yanqun HouDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, National Key Clinical Specialty, Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
Jie ChenDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, National Key Clinical Specialty, Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
Fei ZhuDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, National Key Clinical Specialty, Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China. 2204150422@csu.edu.cn.
Pinhua PanDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, National Key Clinical Specialty, Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China. pinhuapan668@csu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5883-0531

Funding

the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation 2025M772426the Major Research Project for High-Level Talents of Healthcare in Hunan Province R2023032the national key clinical specialist construction programs of China z047-02the National Natural Science Foundation of China 82470078the Natural Science Foundation of Changsha kq2208368the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province of China 2023JJ30930
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWestern equine encephalitis virus (WEEV), Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) are mosquito-borne neurotropic alphaviruses that can cause severe encephalitis in humans and equids, yet no licensed vaccines are currently available for routine human prevention. This study aimed to computationally design a trivalent multi-epitope mRNA vaccine targeting WEEV, EEEV, and VEEV.

methodsImmunoinformatics and reverse vaccinology approaches were used to identify conserved cytotoxic T-lymphocyte, helper T-lymphocyte, and linear B-cell epitopes from the three viruses. Fifteen candidate constructs incorporating different immunomodulatory strategies were evaluated for predicted antigenicity, safety, stability, and solubility, and the construct with the most balanced overall profile was selected for further analysis. Secondary- and tertiary-structure prediction, molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, binding free-energy analysis, and immune simulation were subsequently performed.

resultsWEV showed a favorable overall physicochemical and immunological profile, supporting its further structural and immunological characterization. Molecular docking demonstrated favorable interactions between WEV and TLR2, TLR3, and TLR4, with the strongest predicted HADDOCK score observed for TLR4. In contrast, molecular dynamics simulations and MM-PBSA analysis indicated greater dynamic stability and a more favorable estimated binding free energy for the WEV-TLR2 complex. In silico immune simulation predicted enhanced IgM and IgG production, B- and T-cell responses, memory-cell formation, and increased IFN-γ and IL-2 levels.

conclusionsWEV represents a computationally designed trivalent multi-epitope mRNA vaccine candidate against WEEV, EEEV, and VEEV. The present study provides a sequence-defined framework for the rational development of multivalent vaccines, and further in vitro and in vivo studies are warranted to evaluate antigen expression, immunogenicity, protective efficacy, and safety.

Indexed as

Eastern equine encephalitis virusimmunoinformaticsmulti-epitope mRNA vaccineVenezuelan equine encephalitis virusWestern equine encephalitis virus

Identifiers

PMID42786366

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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.