Multi-pathogen based chimeric vaccine to fight against COVID-19 and concomitant coinfections

BackgroundCOVID-19 has proved to be a fatal disease of the year 2020, due to which thousands of people globally have lost their lives, and still, the infection cases are at a high rate. Experimental studies suggested that SARS-CoV-2 interacts with various microorganisms, and this coinfection is accountable for the augmentation of infection severity.Methods and resultsIn this study, we have designed a multi-pathogen vaccine by involving the immunogenic proteins from S. pneumonia, H. influenza, and M. tuberculosis, as they are dominantly associated with SARS-CoV-2. A total of 8 antigenic protein sequences were selected to predict B-cell, HTL, and CTL epitopes restricted to the most prevalent HLA alleles. The selected epitopes were antigenic, non-allergenic, and non-toxic and were linked with adjuvant and linkers to make the vaccine protein more immunogenic, stable, and flexible. The tertiary structure, Ramachandran plot, and discontinuous B-cell epitopes were predicted. Docking and MD simulation study has shown efficient binding of the chimeric vaccine with the TLR4 receptor.ConclusionThe in silico immune simulation analysis has shown a high level of cytokines and IgG after a three-dose injection. Hence, this strategy could be a better way to decrease the disease's severity and could be used as a weapon to prevent this pandemic.

Automated summary

In this study, a multi-pathogen vaccine was designed by incorporating immunogenic proteins from S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and M. tuberculosis, which are dominantly associated with SARS-CoV-2. The selected epitopes were predicted and linked with adjuvant and linkers to enhance immunogenicity, stability, and flexibility. Docking and MD simulation study revealed efficient binding of the chimeric vaccine with the TLR4 receptor. The three-dose injection of this vaccine showed high levels of cytokines and IgG, suggesting its potential to decrease disease severity and prevent the pandemic.