Developing an innovative chimeric multi-epitope subunit vaccine against Staphylococcus intermedius using an immunoinformatics strategy via Multi-omics approaches.

BACKGROUND

Streptococcus intermedius is a major human pathogen associated with invasive diseases such as meningitis and endocarditis. These infections may lead to inflammation, fever, and cardiac damage. At present, no effective vaccine exists for prevention.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to design a stable, non-allergenic, and antigenic chimeric multi-epitope vaccine against S. intermedius using Immunoinformatics approaches.

METHODS

Twelve B-cell, five helper T lymphocyte (HTL), and five cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes were predicted using advanced immunoinformatics tools. These epitopes were assembled into a single vaccine candidate. The construct was evaluated in silico for its antigenicity, allergenicity, and physicochemical stability. A 3D structural model of the vaccine was generated and validated. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations were conducted to assess interactions between the vaccine and immune receptors: TLR4, TLR3, MHC-I, and MHC-II.

RESULTS

The final vaccine candidate demonstrated favorable antigenic and non-allergenic properties, along with high stability. Structural validation confirmed proper folding. Docking analyses revealed strong binding affinities between the vaccine and target immune receptors. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated stable complexes, supporting the construct's immunological compatibility.

CONCLUSIONS

The designed chimeric multi-epitope vaccine shows strong potential to elicit an immune response against S. intermedius. These findings provide a foundation for further experimental validation through in vivo and clinical trials.