An in-silico design of a multi-epitope vaccine candidate against human metapneumovirus (HMPV) through prediction of B- and T-cell epitopes and molecular dynamics simlation.

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a leading cause of acute respiratory tract infections, particularly in pediatric, elderly, and immunocompromised populations. Despite its clinical significance, no licensed vaccine is currently available for HMPV. This study employed an in silico immunoinformatics-based approach to design a multi-epitope subunit vaccine candidate targeting key structural proteins of HMPV, including Matrix2-2, Matrix2-1, Matrix, and Phosphoprotein. B-cell and T-cell epitopes were systematically predicted and screened based on their immunogenicity, antigenicity, non-toxicity, and non-allergenicity. The most promising epitopes were assembled into a single construct using appropriate peptide linkers and immunostimulatory adjuvants to enhance host immune activation. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to evaluate the structural stability and binding affinity of the vaccine construct with toll-like receptors TLR4, supporting its potential to trigger innate immune pathways. Additional computational analyses, including immune simulation and in silico cloning, were conducted to further assess the vaccine's immunogenic profile and expression feasibility. These findings suggest that the proposed multi-epitope vaccine candidate may offer a viable strategy for HMPV prevention and warrants further experimental validation and preclinical evaluation.