The Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resource: From Vision to Blueprint

Abstract

Recent concerns about bioterrorism and emerging diseases have led to a new focus on the development of vaccines and drugs targeting infectious pathogens. An important component of vaccine development is the characterization of immune responses (to vaccination, for example, or following infection in experimental settings) by evaluating the epitopes recognized by antigen-specific receptors of the immune system (antibodies and/or T cell receptors (TCRs)) [1]. In recent years, different groups have followed different approaches to the discovery of immune epitopes, and various assay types have been used to generate data for the purpose of epitope definition or validation. We believe that research in this area could be greatly facilitated by a comprehensive knowledge center: a repository of immune epitope data with associated analysis tools. Our goal is the creation of the Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resource (IEDB). The IEDB is sponsored by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). It will host data relating to both B cell and T cell epitopes from infectious pathogens, as well as experimental and self-antigens (RTP-NIH-NIAID-DAIT-03/31; www.niaid.nih.gov/contract/archive). Priority will be placed on those epitopes considered to be potential bioterrorism threats, and emerging diseases as defined by NIAID (so-called category A–C pathogens; see: http://www2.niaid.nih.gov/Biodefense/bandc_priority.htm). As a corollary to the IEDB effort, NIAID has also launched a large-scale antibody and T cell epitope discovery program aimed at generating epitope data and analysis resources to be included in the IEDB. Other data sources to be integrated into the IEDB are publications in peer-reviewed journals, published patents or patent applications, and direct submissions from institutions or companies. Everyone who contributes data or analysis resources to the database will be cited, either by authorship or by other acknowledgment of their contributions. The involvement of the scientific community in the design of the scope and capability of the IEDB will be crucial to the success of the project. The IEDB will be produced in a manner that encourages the incorporation of data and analytical tools derived by research labs at-large. With this paper, we hope to inform the scientific community of our effort and to solicit feedback while the project is still in a design stage. We envision that this resource center will be freely available on the Internet, with a prototype operational in the fourth quarter of 2005. Once the project is online, forms for direct feedback and online submission of data and tools will be provided. Yearly conferences to present data relating to epitope identification and the IEDB itself will be organized, and a newsletter will be published quarterly.