Design and Evaluation of a Multi-Epitope Vaccine for Covid-۱۹: An in Silico Approach

Introduction: Corona virus disease-۱۹ (COVID-۱۹) is an evolving global disease which hasSARS-CoV-۲ infects human cells through recognition of and binding to its burst into ۲۰۱۹.cell surface receptor, angiotensin converting enzyme-۲ (ACE۲) through the spike (S)glycoprotein which is an immunogenic protein that can elicit immune responses. Multiepitopevaccines are novel and efficient class of vaccines which are designed by linking the Band T cells recognizing epitopes to stimulate both humoral and cellular immunity.Method: Based on bioinformatics online tools, appropriate epitopes of S protein wereselected, linked together via suitable linkers, a TLR۴ binding adjuvant was added, and amulti-epitope construct was constructed. The ۳D model of the construct was predicted,refined, and validated. The antigenicity, allergenicity, solubility, and physico-chemicalproperties of vaccine was checked. The B cell conformational epitopes and IFN-γ inducingparts were detected. The adjuvant and TLR۴ binding was evaluated by docking and proteinproteincomplex stability was assessed by elastic-mode analysis. The coding sequence of thevaccine construct was optimized and sub-cloned in expression vector through an in silicoapproach. Finally, the structure, energy, and stability of vaccine coding mRNA wasevaluated.Result: The results showed that multi-epitope vaccine is a stable and soluble protein whichcan stimulate humoral and cellular immunity. Besides, the vaccine could stimulate immunitywithout inducing allergenicity in human body. Finally, the vaccine can bind the TLR۴appropriately and can be expressed by a recombinant vector.Conclusion: The designed multi-epitope vaccine against COVID-۱۹ could be considered as asuitable candidate for experimental studies.