Epitope-Based Vaccine Design against the Outer Membrane Glycoprotein of HCMV

Abstract

Human cytomegalovirus is also known as (HCMV), a human beta-herpesvirus 5 which affects over 80% adults worldwide. HCMV infection is considered one of the most leading causes of morbidity and mortality during congenital infection. It can be lethal for the immunosuppressed, such as HIV-infected individuals and patients having their organ transplanted. Considering the clinical importance of HCMV, in this study we aim to design epitope based peptides to develop a vaccine against HCMV by targeting the envelope glycoprotein B of HCMV. We predicted total 22 epitopes and their variability were analysed. The analysis of population coverage reveals a high percentage of the coverage for the America and Europe with an overall 69.77% population coverage for the world. Finally, we predicted the 3D structure of epitope YAYIYTTYL and its binding profile with the human leukocyte antigen serotype (HLA-A*02:01 and HLA-A*02:03) were analyzed using Auto Dock Vina. Our study will facilitate the epitope-based vaccine designing of HCMV and could have a far-reaching benefit on the drug development for HCMV associated diseases.